Ship chandlers & ship supply at Umm al Quwain AEQIW

Ahmed Bin Rashid Port is the commercial port of Umm Al Quwain, on the Gulf coast of the northern UAE. Since November 2017 Hutchison Ports has run it under a concession from the Government of Umm Al Quwain, as Hutchison Ports UAQ. It is an entry and exit point for container, general, Ro-Ro and bulk cargo in the northern Emirates.^[1,2]

—Operator figures: four berths on an 845 m quay with a maximum depth alongside of 10 m, a 23-hectare yard, about 13,000 m² of warehouses, and mobile harbour cranes and reachstackers.^[3]

—Services listed by the terminal: container handling, general and project cargo, Ro-Ro, breakbulk and marine services. Hutchison describes its customers as local shippers and feeders.^[4,3]

—What 10 m alongside means: ships drawing close to that depth need the berth confirmed before fixing. The port suits feeders, coasters, Ro-Ro and project-cargo ships, not deep-draught mainline tonnage.^[3]

—Warehousing: in January 2022 the emirate laid the foundation stone for Hutchison’s Warehouse No. 20, a 50,000 ft² building costing AED 18 million with solar panels meant to cut its electricity use by up to 40%.^[5]

—The port lies in the Al Rass area on Corniche Road, Umm Al Quwain.^[6]

The Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone began in 1987 as the Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and Free Zone, set up to complement the port. It sits on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, about 45 km from Dubai, with road links to Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.^[7]

—The free zone is one of the UAE’s designated zones under Cabinet Decision No. 54 of 2023. It offers tax and duty exemptions on cargo that transits, is stored or is manufactured in the zone, and it has 118,000 m² of land reserved for light industry.^[8]

—For a ship calling at UAQ, the zone and port warehouses are where project cargo, spares or stores can wait for the vessel. Check with your forwarder how bonded goods are cleared before they go on board.^[8,3]

—Routing: UAQ is inside the Gulf, and Hutchison lists convenient access to the Strait of Hormuz among its advantages. In March 2026 the Gulf conflict made passages too dangerous for many container services and cargo was rerouted through Saudi Red Sea ports. Check the current Hormuz situation and your insurers’ terms before fixing a UAQ call.^[3,9]

—Draught against the 10 m maximum alongside, confirmed with the terminal through your agent before arrival.^[3]

—Marine services through the terminal. Hutchison and the free zone both list marine and other nautical services at the port but publish no detail, so ask your agent about pilotage, towage, fresh water and waste reception before arrival.^[4,8]

—Provisions, deck and engine stores, and spares delivered to the berth: post a requirement and suppliers serving Umm Al Quwain answer with sealed bids. Suppliers never see the vessel’s name until award. If you supply ships in the northern Emirates, be the first supplier in at this port.