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The log · Port & regional guides · 26 May 2026 · By Sherif Awad, Owner, GeoMarineHub
Ship Agency Services Across the Middle East & Gulf
What ship agency covers across the region — port clearance, husbandry, crew changes, cash to master and supply coordination — and how to choose a reliable agent.
Ship Agency Services Across the Middle East & Gulf
What ship agency covers across the region — port clearance,husbandry, crew changes, cash to master and supplycoordination — and how to choose a reliable agent.
Geomarine Maritime Team
Behind every smooth port call in the Gulf and Red Sea is a competent ship agent. The agent is the owner's eyes, hands and voice ashore — clearing the vessel, coordinating services and protecting cash flow. This guide explains what ship agency services Middle East operators provide, how scope varies by port, and how to choose a partner you can trust.
What Ship Agency Actually Covers
Ship agency is far broader than paperwork. A full-service agent typically handles port clearance and documentation with customs, immigration and the port authority; berth and pilot booking; and liaison with terminals and surveyors. On the husbandry side they arrange provisions, fresh water, spares delivery, waste disposal, launch boats and technical services. They also manage crew changes — visas, transit, hotels and transfers — and provide cash to master when a vessel needs funds onboard. Where required, they coordinate bunker and stores delivery so fuel and supply align with the call window.
How Scope Differs by Port
Requirements vary sharply across the region. Fujairahis anchorage-heavy, so launch logistics and barge coordination dominate; Jeddahinvolves Saudi customs and Red Sea routing considerations; and Port Said sits at the Suez Canal approaches, where transit formalities and convoy timing are central. A good agent knows the local rule set, the working hours, the documentation quirks and the right contacts at each authority — knowledge that is hard to replicate from a distance.
Protecting Agency: PDA and FDA
Cost control in agency runs through two documents. The Proforma Disbursement Account (PDA) is the agent's pre-call estimate of port dues, pilotage, towage, agency fee and disbursements; owners review and fund against it. After the call, the Final Disbursement Account (FDA) reconciles actual spend against the PDA with supporting vouchers. Insisting on an itemised PDA, then a fully documented FDA, is the simplest way to keep husbandry costs transparent and avoid surprises. Always ask which items are estimates versus fixed tariffs.
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