Import to Egypt · From the UAE
Shipping from the UAE to Egypt.
We ship commercial cargo from Dubai and the rest of the UAE to Egypt by sea and air: full and shared containers from Jebel Ali and the other UAE ports, air cargo from Dubai, and goods re-exported through Dubai. Your cargo arrives at Sokhna or a Mediterranean port, or at Cairo Airport by air, and we clear customs in Egypt. Delivery to your door if you need it.
Reviewed by Hassan Ahmed, Earth Link Freight Services · 8 Oct 2026
At a glance
- Ways to ship
- Sea: full container (FCL), shared container (LCL), consolidation. Air.
- From
- Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah's ports. Air from Dubai (DXB and DWC).
- Into Egypt
- Sokhna on the Red Sea, or through Suez to Alexandria, El Dekheila, Damietta and Port Said. Cairo Airport by air.
- Customs
- Cleared in Egypt by a licensed customs broker in our group.
- Origin
- Goods made in the UAE can qualify for Arab free trade (GAFTA) with a valid certificate of origin. Re-exports are assessed by where they were made.
Two ways to move it.
By sea
For most trade goods from the UAE, such as copper, plastics, building materials and machinery. A full container (20ft, 40ft, 40HC) when you have the volume, a shared container when you don't, and consolidation when you buy from several suppliers or traders in Dubai, so everything travels as one shipment with one set of documents.
Cargo from the Gulf comes up the Red Sea. It reaches Egypt at Sokhna, the nearest port to Cairo, or goes through the Suez Canal to Alexandria, El Dekheila, Damietta or Port Said. We compare both for each booking.
Sea freightBy air
For urgent, light or high-value cargo such as spare parts, electronics and samples. Air cargo leaves from Dubai International (DXB) or Dubai World Central (DWC) and lands at Cairo Airport, where our branch works in the Cargo Village.
Check your chargeable weightThe UAE to Egypt in numbers.
Every figure has a source and a date. Checked 8 Oct 2026.
- USD 2.64bnEgypt's imports from the UAE in 2025: the 10th-largest source, with 2.6% of all imports.UN Comtrade, Egypt-reported, all partners, 2025 · checked 8 Oct 2026
- USD 1.79bnImports from the UAE in 2025 without gold and precious metals, which jumped to USD 852m from USD 100m in 2024 and inflate the total.UN Comtrade, Total less HS chapter 71, 2024 and 2025 · checked 8 Oct 2026
- USD 477mCopper from the UAE in 2025, the largest category after gold. The UAE supplied 23% of Egypt's copper imports, more than any other country.UN Comtrade, HS chapter 74, all partners, 2025 · checked 8 Oct 2026
- USD 360mPlastics from the UAE in 2025, making it Egypt's third-largest supplier of plastics after Saudi Arabia and China.UN Comtrade, HS chapter 39, all partners, 2025 · checked 8 Oct 2026
- 15.5mContainers handled at Jebel Ali in 2024, counted in twenty-foot equivalent units: its highest since 2015.DP World · 19 Feb 2025
- 2.2m tonnesCargo handled at Dubai International (DXB) in 2024, up 20.5% on 2023.Dubai Media Office · 30 Jan 2025
- 1998The Pan-Arab (Greater Arab) Free Trade Area, which Egypt and the UAE both belong to, has been in force since 1998, with tariffs on Arab-origin goods phased out by 2005.WTO Regional Trade Agreements Database · checked 8 Oct 2026
- 1 Oct 2021Since this date every sea shipment into Egypt needs an ACID on its documents, and the supplier in the UAE uploads them on CargoX.Suffolk Chamber of Commerce · 8 Aug 2022
- 1 Jan 2026The same advance cargo rules apply to air freight, including flights from Dubai to Cairo.AHK Egypt · 9 Aug 2025
Questions about shipping from the UAE.
Do you ship personal parcels or belongings from the UAE?
Household moves, yes: we ship personal effects and furniture as freight, in a shared or full container or by air, as well as trade goods for companies and traders. A single small parcel suits a courier better.
I bought goods in Dubai that were made in another country. Which duty applies in Egypt?
Egyptian customs looks at where the goods were made, not only where they shipped from. Goods made in the UAE can enter with lower or zero duty under the Arab free trade agreement with a valid certificate of origin. Goods made elsewhere and re-exported through Dubai are usually assessed by their real origin. Ask your supplier for the origin documents, and we check them with you before the goods ship.
Which UAE ports and airports do you ship from?
By sea, mainly Jebel Ali, as well as Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah's ports. By air, Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC). We arrange collection from the supplier's warehouse, including in free zones such as Jafza.
Should my cargo arrive at Sokhna or a Mediterranean port?
Cargo from the Gulf comes up the Red Sea, so Sokhna, the nearest port to Cairo, is often the natural choice. Some sailings continue through the Suez Canal to Alexandria, El Dekheila, Damietta or Port Said. It depends on the carrier's route and where the goods go in Egypt. When both make sense, we price both.
More on importing into Egypt.
Request a quote.
Tell us what you are shipping from the UAE and where it needs to go in Egypt. We come back with your options.
Prefer to talk? Message our team on WhatsApp or call +20 122 000 1573.