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How to Start a Ship Chandlers Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Ship chandling is one of the oldest professions in maritime commerce. The chandler, from the Old French for merchant, is the supplier who meets a vessel at port and delivers everything the ship needs to sail: food, water, fuel, rope, medicine, and stores. For code 5629.99, the specific food service dimension of ship chandling is the governing commercial activity: the provision of food, fresh produce, dry goods, bonded stores, and galley supplies to vessels under contract, at a port or anchorage, for the duration of their stay. The ISIC class definition is explicit that activities of food service contractors for transportation companies fall within this group, and the ship chandler is the archetype of that format.
Dubai’s position as a global maritime hub gives this activity code exceptional UAE-specific commercial weight. Jebel Ali Port, the largest port in the Middle East, handles over 15,000 vessels annually and processed 15.5 million TEUs in 2024, the highest volume in nearly a decade, according to DP World¹. The port connects to over 140 ports worldwide through 180 shipping lines. The combined figures for Jebel Ali and Port Rashid cover approximately 14,041 vessels annually. UAE non-oil trade exceeded AED 1.3 trillion in 2024, with Jebel Ali’s strategic position between Asia, Africa, and Europe generating consistent and high-volume vessel provisioning demand.
Wrist Ship Supply, the world’s leading ship chandler, operates its Middle East division from Dubai with 140 dedicated staff and a 92,000 square foot distribution centre, serving cargo vessels, tankers, offshore units, and cruise ships across all major UAE ports. Other named UAE operators include Seaview Marine (24/7, IMO-compliant, offshore chandling), Aplus Ship Chandlers (Jebel Ali, Port Rashid, Al Hamriya), Forever52 Group, Aquamaris Trading, and Shipstar.ae. All food provision supplies must comply with HACCP standards. Ship Chandlers under code 5629.99 requires Dubai Maritime Authority (DMA) pre-approval before the Meydan Free Zone licence is issued.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Cargo and commercial vessel provisions suppliers | Ship chandlers providing food provisions, dry goods, bonded stores, and galley supplies to cargo vessels, container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers calling at UAE ports, including Jebel Ali, Port Rashid, Mina Al Hamriya, and offshore anchorage positions. |
| Cruise ship and passenger vessel provisions suppliers | Ship chandlers providing food and catering provisions to cruise ships, passenger ferries, and roll-on roll-off vessels calling at UAE ports, delivering fresh produce, prepared food products, and specialty dietary provisions to meet the catering requirements of large passenger complements. |
| Superyacht and offshore unit provisions suppliers | Ship chandlers providing food provisions, specialty groceries, premium fresh produce, and galley supplies to superyachts, private motor yachts, and offshore platforms and rig support vessels operating in UAE waters, serving the requirements of charter and private vessel owners. |
5629.99 - Ship Chandlers
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Cargo and commercial vessel provisioning | Cargo and commercial vessel food and provisions supply operations Supply of food provisions, dry goods, bonded stores, and galley supplies to cargo vessels, container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers at berth or anchorage at UAE ports, including fresh, chilled, and frozen provisions delivered to the vessel’s galley under a ship chandling contract. |
| Cruise and passenger vessel provisioning | Cruise ship and passenger vessel food provisions supply operations Supply of food provisions and catering supplies to cruise ships and passenger vessels calling at UAE ports including Port Rashid (Dubai cruise terminal) and Abu Dhabi cruise terminal, delivering fresh produce, dietary-specific provisions, and specialty food products to meet large-volume passenger catering requirements. |
| Superyacht and offshore unit provisioning | Superyacht and offshore platform food provisions supply operations Supply of food provisions, premium fresh produce, specialty groceries, and galley supplies to superyachts, private motor yachts, and offshore platforms and rig support vessels operating in UAE waters, accommodating the elevated quality and dietary requirements of charter clients, vessel owners, and offshore platform crews. |
Code 5629.99 covers the supply of food provisions and galley stores to vessels under a ship chandling contract. It does not cover the technical and spare parts component of ship chandling (which falls under wholesale and distribution ISIC codes rather than food service); vessel fuel and bunker supply (ISIC 4661); ship repair and maintenance services (ISIC 3315); or the operation of floating restaurants (5610.97) and floating hotels (5510.94). It expressly excludes the manufacture of perishable food items for resale and the retail sale of perishable food items in a non-maritime context. All ship chandler food provision operations must comply with HACCP food safety standards and applicable DMA maritime regulatory requirements.
In short: if you supply food provisions and galley stores to vessels in UAE ports under a ship chandling contract with DMA pre-approval, you are in. If you supply technical parts, fuel, or vessel repair services as the primary activity, or operate a floating restaurant or hotel, you are not under this code.
Third-Party Approval
Ship Chandlers requires pre-approval from the Dubai Maritime Authority (DMA) before the Meydan Free Zone licence can be issued, reflecting the maritime regulatory jurisdiction that governs all vessel provisioning and supply activities in Dubai’s waterways and ports; operators must also comply with applicable food safety standards including HACCP for all food provisions supplied to vessels.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Ship Chandlers is not classified as a Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBP) under UAE anti-money laundering legislation, and ship chandler operators are not subject to AML registration or reporting obligations specific to this licence category.
References
- ¹ DP World / Supply Chain Digital, DP World’s Record-Breaking Year at Jebel Ali Port - https://supplychaindigital.com/logistics/dp-world-record-breaking-year-jebel-ali-port
- ² Datalastic, Port of Jebel Ali (AE JEA) Details - https://datalastic.com/blog/port-of-jebel-ali-ae-jea-details/
- ³ Wrist Ship Supply, Your Ship Chandler in Dubai and UAE - https://www.wrist.com/en/what_we_do/supplies/uae/
- ⁴ Seaview Marine, UAE Ship Chandlers in Modern Maritime - https://seaviewmarineuae.com/blog/uae-ship-chandlers-in-modern-maritime/
- ⁵ Three Lines Shipping, The Future of Sea Freight in UAE: Trends to Watch in 2025 - https://threelineshipping.com/the-future-of-sea-freight-in-uae-trends-to-watch-in-2025/
