Notes from Dubai

Logistics thinking for UAE sellers.

Guides, playbooks, and market analysis from the team running a real warehouse in Ras Al Khor.

Latest

Air freight beats sea freight only on the right cargo profile. Real 2026 numbers, a decision matrix, and three worked examples to settle the call.

Twelve questions to ask any UAE 3PL before signing, plus the answer patterns that reveal whether you have an operator or a middleman.

Real transit times, FCL and LCL costs, customs documents, MOFAIC rules. What sea freight from China to UAE actually looks like in 2026.

What a 3PL actually costs in Dubai in 2026. Published rates per CBM, per order, per service. No quote forms, no hidden fees, no minimums.

How to evaluate 3PL operators in Dubai, the two models, what pricing should look like, and the red flags that predict a bad season.

Where to start

Hand-picked articles grouped by what you're trying to figure out.

Operational patterns that break at the 100-orders-a-day mark.

Questions

We'll tell you what we've seen. No sales pitch, no nonsense.