The UAE is the logistics gateway between Asia, Europe and Africa. Jebel Ali handled 15.5 million TEUs in 2025, ranking ninth among the world's container ports, Dubai's airports moved 2.8 million tonnes of air cargo in 2024, and the Jebel Ali Free Zone marked its 40th year with a record USD 190 billion in trade across more than 11,000 resident companies. Re-exports alone reached AED 484.4 billion in the first half of 2025. The best logistics companies in the UAE reflect that gateway role: a global port operator, the world's largest international cargo airline operation, home-grown express and specialist 3PLs, and the global forwarders investing heavily in Dubai South. This 2026 guide profiles ten providers with the strongest footprint in the country, listed in no particular order, drawn from public reporting, company disclosures and industry coverage.
How we chose this list
This is an editorial guide, compiled from public sources such as annual reports, exchange filings, press releases and trade media, rather than from paid placements or our own directory data. We weighed four things:
- Scale in the UAE: revenue, terminals, warehouse footprint and fleet based in the country.
- Breadth of services: port handling, air cargo, express, freight forwarding and specialist logistics.
- Track record: years operating in the UAE and publicly verifiable milestones.
- Network: connections from the UAE to the wider Gulf, Asia, Africa and Europe.
Figures are the most recent publicly reported at the time of writing; Emirates Group companies report April to March fiscal years. The companies appear in no particular order. A provider further down the page may well be the better fit for your specific lane or cargo type.
The 10 companies at a glance
| Company | Type | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| DP World | Port operator and logistics group | Jebel Ali and a 93.4 million TEU global port network |
| Emirates SkyCargo | Air cargo carrier | 2.3 million tonnes flown in FY2024-25 on a global widebody network |
| Aramex | Express and logistics | Dubai-born courier serving 600+ cities in 70 countries |
| GAC Dubai | Shipping agency and 3PL | In Dubai since the late 1960s, 170,000+ pallet positions |
| Tristar Group | Energy and chemical logistics | Fuel and hazardous cargo by road and sea |
| Al-Futtaim Logistics | 3PL contract logistics | Automotive and retail logistics since 1980 |
| RSA Global | Digital-forward 3PL | Dubai South hub between Jebel Ali and Al Maktoum airport |
| DHL Group | Global integrator | EUR 500 million+ Middle East investment programme |
| Kuehne+Nagel | Global forwarder | Pharma-grade warehousing in Dubai Logistics City |
| DSV | Global forwarder | World's largest forwarder with deep Gulf roots via Agility GIL |
DP World
Dubai-headquartered DP World reported record 2025 revenue of USD 24.4 billion, up 22%, with adjusted EBITDA of USD 6.4 billion. Group container throughput reached 93.4 million TEUs across a global network with 109 million TEUs of capacity, anchored by its flagship Jebel Ali Port, which handled 15.5 million TEUs in 2025. Beyond terminals, it runs freight forwarding, economic zones and inland logistics from the UAE outward.
Best for: ocean gateways, terminal handling and integrated port-to-door supply chains through Jebel Ali.
Emirates SkyCargo
The cargo arm of Emirates carried 2.3 million tonnes in FY2024-25, up 7%, generating AED 16.1 billion in revenue, about 11% of Emirates group turnover. Its freighter fleet of 11 Boeing 777Fs plus wet-leased 747s is growing toward 21 freighters by the end of 2026, on top of bellyhold capacity across the world's largest widebody passenger fleet. Sister company dnata handled a further 3.1 million tonnes of cargo on the ground.
Best for: time-critical air freight, pharma and perishables on a global widebody network out of Dubai.
Aramex
Founded in 1982 and listed on the Dubai Financial Market since 2005, Aramex is the Gulf's home-grown express champion, operating in more than 600 cities across 70 countries with over 16,000 employees. The group reported FY2025 revenue of AED 6.36 billion across express, freight forwarding and contract logistics.
Best for: regional express parcel and e-commerce delivery across the Middle East from a UAE base.
GAC Dubai
The GAC Group, founded in 1956 and today headquartered in Dubai with over 7,500 people in 300 offices across 50 countries, was one of the first foreign companies to set up in Dubai, arriving in the late 1960s. It opened the Gulf's first distribution centre in Dubai in 1993, and its USD 27 million Dubai South contract logistics facility took total capacity past 170,000 pallet positions across the Jebel Ali and airport free zones.
Best for: ship agency, marine services and third-party warehousing in Jebel Ali for Gulf distribution.
Tristar Group
Dubai-headquartered Tristar specialises in energy and chemical logistics: fuel distribution, maritime tankers and hazardous road transport. The privately held group reported FY2023 revenue of AED 4 billion, up 31%, and by mid-2024 operated more than 2,000 road transport assets, 35 maritime vessels and 69 fuel farms across its markets.
Best for: fuel, chemical and other hazardous-cargo logistics by road and sea.
Al-Futtaim Logistics
Established in 1980 as part of the Al-Futtaim Group, Al-Futtaim Logistics is one of the UAE's logistics pioneers. The company manages over 1.5 million sq m of ambient and cold-store warehousing and open yards with its own fleet and operations at the country's major air and sea hubs, with particular depth in automotive logistics, including finished vehicle distribution, as well as retail, F&B and aerospace supply chains.
Best for: automotive and retail contract logistics with large owned warehousing in the UAE.
RSA Global
RSA Global is a digital-forward 3PL headquartered in Dubai Logistics City, positioned between Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport. It runs a 25,000 sq m distribution centre with 26,585 pallet positions, opened a new 10,000 sq m bonded and non-bonded hub at EZDubai in 2025, and operates a chemical logistics joint venture, RSA-TALKE, with Germany's TALKE Group.
Best for: tech-enabled SME freight, chemical and cold-chain logistics from Dubai South.
DHL Group
DHL is investing more than EUR 500 million in the Middle East between 2024 and 2030, focused on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In the UAE that includes plans for a new DHL Express hub at Al Maktoum International reported at upwards of EUR 300 million, and a EUR 120 million DHL Supply Chain agreement in Dubai South for a 55,000 sq m multi-user warehouse breaking ground in early 2026, alongside its expanded Middle East and Africa Innovation Center.
Best for: international express and multi-division logistics depth backed by heavy new UAE investment.
Kuehne+Nagel
Kuehne+Nagel operates a 50,000 sq m warehouse in Dubai Logistics City, more than 30,000 sq m of it dedicated to pharma with temperature-controlled cold rooms and ambient chambers, and its UAE arm holds a healthcare aggregation license. A 22,915 sq m e-commerce fulfilment centre at EZDubai adds bonded corridor access to Jebel Ali Port, all backed by a global network with net turnover above CHF 24 billion.
Best for: pharma and healthcare-grade forwarding and GDP-compliant warehousing in Dubai.
DSV
DSV became the world's largest freight forwarder when it completed the acquisition of Schenker on 30 April 2025. Its Gulf scale traces back to the 2021 acquisition of Agility's Global Integrated Logistics business, a deal with an implied equity value of USD 4.1 billion, and it serves the UAE with air, sea, road and warehousing solutions from offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Best for: large-scale international forwarding capacity and project logistics with global lane coverage.
How to choose between them
The right provider depends less on overall size than on fit with your cargo and lane:
- Ocean freight and terminals: DP World anchors the gateway; the global forwarders quote door-to-door through it.
- Air freight: Emirates SkyCargo flies it; DHL, Kuehne+Nagel and DSV book and consolidate it.
- Regional express and e-commerce: Aramex and DHL cover the parcel spectrum.
- Specialist cargo: Tristar for fuel and chemicals, Al-Futtaim for automotive, RSA for chemical and cold chain.
Whoever you shortlist, get more than one quote, because rates for the same lane can vary widely, and confirm licences, insurance coverage and references for your specific cargo type. Our guide to the best websites to find a freight forwarder covers how to run that comparison.
Compare UAE logistics providers in one place
The ten companies above are the biggest names, but they are not always the best-priced option for a specific shipment. The UAE has hundreds of capable independent forwarders competing on exactly your lane. CargoLinked's directory lists nearly 1,000 logistics companies and freight forwarders based in the United Arab Emirates, which you can browse by service and by city, including Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. If you have cargo to move, you can also post your shipment for free and collect quotes from interested forwarders instead of contacting providers one by one.
