1) Overview of eCommerce Shipping Companies in Dubai
Dubai is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce markets in the world. Several new businesses opening up in the Emirate translate into an increasing competition. Online sellers rely heavily on shipping companies to fulfill their orders, owing to the lack of brick-and-mortar stores, which makes them extremely important. A reliable shipping company is necessary to gain a competitive edge in the market.
In this blog, we explore the best options for getting shipping services in the Emirate of Dubai. The article sheds light on the top companies in Dubai, a brief of their capabilities, and what they bring to the table. Use this exhaustive search to select a shipping company for your eCommerce business.
2) Top 15 Best eCommerce Shipping Companies in Dubai [2023 Updated List]
2.1) Aramex
Aramex is a Dubai-based shipping services company that operates globally. It was founded in UAE in 1982 and has since expanded its operations to more than 220 nations worldwide. It is one of the largest shipping companies in the Middle East and employs more than 17,000 people for its operations across multiple cities.
Aramex offers a host of dedicated shipping services to eCommerce businesses in the Emirate of Dubai, including goods transport, freight forwarding, cross-border shipping, and even warehousing. It also offers value-added services such as CoD, packaging, labeling, kitting, etc.
2.2) First Flight
First Flight is an international shipping company. It was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Dubai. It is one of the major shipping service providers in the MENA region and has a reach of more than 250 countries and territories worldwide. First Flight serves more than 1,800 destinations worldwide and has a network of more than 930 globally spread offices and several international off-shoots.
First Flight offers domestic and cross-border shipping solutions to companies and has a suite of dedicated services for eCommerce companies in the country. It offers surface transport and freight services and transshipment solutions for goods that need to be delivered using multiple modes. For eCommerce businesses, it offers a network of fulfillment centers, CoD services, and last-mile delivery services.
2.3) Shipa Delivery
Shipa Delivery is another Dubai-based shipping company with significant operations in the Middle East. It is a popular eCommerce shipping solutions provider with dedicated offerings for online sellers in the region.
Shipa offers hyperlocal as well as last-mile delivery solutions in Dubai. It also offers on-demand same and next-day delivery services. Apart from these, it also offers freight and international delivery services with a reach of more than 100 countries worldwide. To support its shipping services, it offers an intuitive platform that allows businesses to manage and track orders from a single dashboard.
2.4) FedEx
FedEx is one of the largest shipping companies in the world. It is a popular shipping service often chosen by major eCommerce platforms. It was established in 1972 and developed a large shipping and logistics network spread across 220 countries. It can manage large order volumes, with an average of 12.5 million daily orders through its 600,000+ strong workforce.
FedEx offers several solutions to eCommerce businesses in Dubai. Some of its offerings are overnight, express, and cross-border shipping. It also offers international freight services through the land, air, and sea routes. It allows businesses to deliver heavy, sensitive, and dangerous goods and provides ancillary clearance services for the same as well. Apart from these, it offers distribution, last-mile delivery, and reverse logistics solutions to e-tailers.
2.5) Fetchr
Fetchr is a popular cloud-based delivery solutions startup founded in 2012. It is headquartered in Dubai and has spread its operations throughout the Middle East. It offers services in more than 250 cities worldwide through a workforce of over 1500 delivery experts. As of 2021, Fetchr has successfully shipped almost 28 million items throughout its service network.
Fetchr offers several dedicated solutions for online sellers in the Emirate of Dubai. It offers an intuitive interface allowing businesses to schedule pickups, manage shipments, and even handle reverse logistics. Its platform also allows businesses to track their orders from the same dashboard.
2.6) UPS
UPS, short for United Parcel Service, is an international shipping giant. It is the world's largest shipping and logistics company in terms of revenue. It began its operations in 1907 and, during its history of more than 100 years, has spread its operations to more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. It handles large volumes of shipments, with an average of 4.7 billion packages delivered yearly through a workforce of over 500,000.
UPS offers several eCommerce shipping solutions in Dubai, such as scheduled pickups, last-mile deliveries, and cross-border logistics. It helps online sellers create labels and enables businesses to manage their post-sales operations.
2.7) DHL
DHL is a global logistics and shipping solutions provider. It was founded over 50 years ago and operates in more than 220 countries with a workforce of over 380,000 employees. It is one of the largest shipping companies in the world, with an average of 1.8 billion packages delivered annually.
DHL ecommerce shipping company provides several shipping services to businesses in Dubai, such as last-mile delivery, bulk order shipping, and cross-border delivery. It also allows businesses to ship sensitive and heavy items and provides land, sea, and air freight solutions.
2.8) Emirates Post
Emirates Post is a state-owned and operated postal and shipping service based in the UAE. It was founded in 1909 and was initially run by the Indian Post Office Services. It offers delivery and mailing services in the United Arab Emirates through a network of 115 post offices spread throughout the country.
2.9) Fodel
Fodel is a shipping services provider which is headquartered in Dubai. It offers eCommerce delivery solutions in the Middle East. It operates on a different model than other shipping services, providing collection services to customers instead of doorstep delivery. It works with a network of collection centers where end consumers can come to collect their orders.
Fodel offers last-mile delivery and hyperlocal solutions to eCommerce platforms in Dubai. It provides order fulfillment as several value-added services, such as cash-on-delivery, allowing customers to pay cash at the collection centers.
2.10) Jeebly
Jeebly is a shipping and courier service based in Dubai. It offers its services in the Middle East through a network of facilities and delivery experts. Jeebly works closely with eCommerce platforms in the region to offer dedicated delivery solutions, helping them reach the end consumer.
Jeebly’s offering includes on-demand same-day and next-delivery solutions. It enables businesses to make hyperlocal and last-mile deliveries allowing pickups from multiple locations. It also allows businesses to ship items from one store to another. Jeebly offers specialized services for online businesses, such as reverse logistics, order tracking, and more.
2.11) Century Express
Century Express is a package and freight shipping company in Dubai with a wide reach in MENA and South East Asia. It provides various expedited domestic delivery and international shipping services. Its domestic services include Same-day and Next-day delivery across Dubai and nearby regions at an added cost. For less time-sensitive packages, e-commerce companies can choose the UAE road freight service.
In international shipping, they offer express transport of document and non-document orders. Larger shipments can be shipped with their air freight shipping option. Century Express takes care of all duties and customs clearance formalities for overseas packages.
2.12) Professional Express Courier Services
Professional Express Courier Services was established in 2006 to simplify shipping and returns procedures for e-commerce companies in the UAE. This Dubai-based shipping company uses the latest technology and over 100 delivery vehicles to provide the fastest shipping services in the region.
Its domestic services include door-to-door same-day and next-day delivery of urgent shipments and cheque collection. It also offers returns management and doorstep collection. Professional Express Courier Services provides 2 options for international deliveries: Worldwide express and Worldwide economy.
Orders booked under worldwide express can be sent to 220+ countries within specified time frames. Worldwide economy packages travel by road and are delivered within 5 working days. It is one of the best options for cost-effective shipping.
2.13) DTDC
DTDC (Desk to Desk Courier and Cargo) is a globally reputed shipping company headquartered in India. It was established in 1990 to provide worldwide parcel delivery services. DTDC provides its services in the Middle East through its joint venture with Eurostar. Since the 2000s, DTDC has expanded its reach in 21 countries globally, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, the US, the UK, and more.
It's one of the few shipping companies in Dubai to offer dedicated e-commerce services and Cash on Delivery orders. It also offers e-fulfillment where e-commerce companies can schedule pickups of their goods to the DTDC warehouse. The shipping company manages the inventory and ships the package after placing an order. DTDC provides full transparency on all orders. They can be tracked on the DTDC app or website.
2.14) Eliver
Eliver is a Dubai trucking and freight shipping company established in 2020. Although new to the logistics industry, Eliver has garnered acclaim for its timely deliveries and e-commerce logistics solutions across the UAE.
Its service repertoire includes 24-hour delivery for urgent shipments across Dubai, economical e-commerce parcel shipping, next-day delivery in the UAE, and international shipping. It's trusted by high-end fashion and apparel brands for the highest customer satisfaction. Eliver provides real-time order tracking updates to customers, notifying them about their order status.
2.15) Droply Delivery
Droply Delivery is a hugely popular Dubai shipping company for its competitive pricing, 24/7 customer care, modern delivery technology, and guaranteed order fulfillment. It has successful tie-ups with healthcare, FMCG, fashion and retail, and e-commerce industry players.
Droply Delivery is a great option for e-commerce businesses looking for expedited domestic shipping options. It provides same-day and next-day deliveries within UAE. It's also great for B2B shipping, bulk shipping, gifting, and giveaways. Online sellers can use Droply Delivery for customized packaging and returns.
3) How to Choose the Best Dubai Shipping Company for Your Online Business?
E-commerce companies must be careful when selecting a shipping company to deliver orders. The variety and quality of products in your store won't matter if customers don't have a good post-purchase experience.
Shipping is the biggest unorganized part of the ecommerce shopping experience. Therefore, brands in Dubai must do everything to ensure there are no loopholes in the shipping process.
3.1) Shipping Costs
Ecommerce companies need to be careful of the shipping costs with each courier company because what's a 1000-order monthly volume will soon rise. With that, shipping costs can become very high. Figure out how to plan for a scale-up without wasting too much money or talk to your shipping company for cheaper shipping options.
Many online sellers opt for LTL and FTL shipping to reduce monetary burden while delivering shipments on time. Such bulk shippers also leave a smaller carbon footprint.
3.2) Serviceability and Reach
Once you have narrowed down your favorite shipping companies from the list, it's time to determine which areas, locations, and countries these shipping carriers deliver to.
As you have seen, some courier companies discussed above only offer domestic and cross-border services, while others provide comprehensive international logistics.
Depending on your business requirements, you can ascertain which shipping company is best for you. Remember to factor in the cost of these services too.
3.3) Warehousing and E-Fulfillment
As your business grows, you will need more space and staff to manage orders. Choosing a Dubai shipping company with warehousing and e-fulfillment capabilities will help you in the long run.
They update inventory, help with packaging, and store orders near customer locations for faster shipping. Some shipping carriers even provide bundling, kitting, and customized packaging options.
3.4) Payment Methods
Ecommerce companies in Dubai can reduce cart abandonment rates by providing numerous payment methods. Customers like options. Provide them with as many ways to pay as possible, like bank transactions, PayPal, debit/credit cards, and cash on delivery. Make sure the shipping company you partner with offers many payment gateways.
3.5) Delivery Options
Online shoppers want the fastest deliveries, most preferring same-day or next-day deliveries. Many Dubai shipping companies provide 24-hour and 48-hour shipping options within the city. If your brand needs to provide superfast deliveries to customers, opt for one of the shipping couriers offering those services.
3.6) Customer Care
Every time your customer has a query or wants to know where their order is, they want to speak to you. Therefore, the courier company of your choice must provide 24/7 customer care services. Customers whose queries are resolved earlier are more likely to shop from your store again.
3.7) International Shipping
If you have international customers, then you must choose international shipping companies. Check what kind of international services they provide. Do they offer air freight services? Can they handle international returns? Who looks after customs clearance?
3.8) User Reviews
Past user reviews are the greatest resource for knowing a shipping company's performance. Majorly good ratings mean the shipping company delivers on its promises. Pay careful attention to what people like and dislike about its services to tailor your shipping strategy.
4) Final Thoughts
Since Dubai is strategically located, the existence of several logistics companies is inevitable. However, it is important to understand what each shipping company offers to get into a partnership with one.
Before settling for any service provider, exploring the needs a shipping company can fulfill while keeping growth prospects in mind is critical. While this article presents an exhaustive list of the top shipping companies in Dubai, it is important to understand individual needs before making a decision.
5) FAQs
5.1) Which is the best shipping company in Dubai for e-commerce shipping?
The best Dubai shipping company for e-commerce shipping is FedEx and Aramex.
5.2) Which is the best Dubai courier company for small businesses?
The best courier companies in Dubai for small businesses (SMBs) are Droply Delivery, Fodel, and Jeebly.