The Republic of Turkey, located between Europe and Asia, is a country of diverse cultures, beliefs, ideas, nature, and history.
This guide provides you the shipping mode between Turkey and UAE, Transit time, cost, major seaports and airports of both countries, customs clearance in UAE, and what is the best option for air freight or sea freight.
Turkey has long been at the crossroads of significant trading, silk, and spice pathways. It is also known for its abundance and diversity of handicrafts, cuisine, music, customs, traditions, and its imperial legacy.
The country is home to two Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
When we talk about Turkey, It is a country with a lot of industries, exports, Technology, and the most important thing it relies on is its people.
On the other hand, the UAE comes out quite well when it comes to infrastructure, innovation, and GDP per capita.
Turkey is the largest manufacturing base in the MENAT and it seems to be in a position to meet the future economic demand originating from affluent societies of the Gulf countries, whose imports are 90% composed of manufactured goods.
Let’s talk about the mode of shipping between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
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Turkey has worked hard over the last decade to rebuild and improve relations with its Arab allies. Economic contacts are a weapon for Turkey to accomplish its foreign policy goal of “Zero problems with neighbors.”
When we talk about shipping goods from Turkey to UAE, there are only two options:
The cost of air freight is generally 4–5 times that of road transport and 12–16 times that of marine freight, which limits demand. Airfreight costs normally vary from $3.00 to $6.00 per kilogram, whereas air cargo values frequently surpass $7.00 per kilogram.
Documents, medications, fashion clothes, factory samples, electronics consumer items, and perishable agricultural and fisheries products are examples of commodities delivered by air that have high production values or are extremely time-sensitive. Potted herbs, electronic equipment, and fresh fruit and veg are the major exports delivered by air from impoverished countries.
On the flip side, over 90% of global trade is handled by the sea — and in certain countries, even more. Ocean freight is a technique of shipping containerized cargo that is loaded onto vessels by the ocean.
In Sea freight, we have another two options.
You can keep your inventory low by using LCL while FCL would be much less expensive than LCL.
If your warehouse lacks the resources or ability to accommodate a full container, LCL is a better option then. LCL allows you to ship in lower amounts, allowing you to keep your supply lean. Instead of buying in bulk from suppliers, you may utilize LCL to maintain a constant flow of goods in smaller amounts.
In contrast, FCL is supplied more rapidly than LCL. Because an FCL consignment arrives at the port, it is unloaded off the vessel and delivered to the buyer.
However, LCL is more difficult since it necessitates extra procedures such as mixing multiple shipments, processing numerous papers per container, and then sorting products for each client. There is the possibility of a delay at each stage.
When transporting items from Turkey to UAE weighing less than 100kg, the cost of ocean versus air freight doesn’t generally differ much. In such conditions, many firms opt for the quickest alternative, which is typically air freight. If your products weigh more than 100 kg, shipping by sea is generally less expensive than shipping by air.
Depending on the following factors, the cost of transporting freight from Turkey to the UAE:
Transit time is the entire amount of time it takes for products to travel from point A to point B, measured in hours or days. Many factors might come into play when establishing an anticipated transit time, depending on where the item is originating and where it is eventually to be transported.
Shipping a container from Turkey to the UAE is a lengthy procedure that should take between 11 and 38 days. Transit times are determined by your choice of ports, the carrier’s route, and whether you choose LCL or FCL shipment. In the case of Airfreight, it takes 1- 2 days from Istanbul to Dubai.
| Port of Ambarli to Jebel Ali | 15 days FCL |
| Port of Istanbul to Port Khalid | 15 days FCL |
| Port Izmit Korfezi to Port Rashid | 16 days FCL |
| Port of Gemlik to Jebel Ali | 15 days FCL |
Haydarpasa, Ambarl, Izmir, and Mersin are Turkey’s four main cargo ports. Except for Ambarli, the other three ports are run by a major government organization called TCDD (Turkish State Railways). We are providing the list below of the busiest ports in Turkey.
| Rank | Port Name | Location | TEU (2018) |
| 1 | Port of Marsin | Marsin | 1.722.711 |
| 2 | Marport- port of Istanbul | Beylikdüzü, İstanbul | 1,573,600 |
| 3 | Kumport- Port of Ambarli | Istanbul Strait | 1,258,294 |
| 4 | Port of Asyaport | Tekirdağ, Barbaros | 1,117,749 |
| 5 | Port of Alsancak | Izmir | 610,908 |
| 6 | DP World Yarımca port | Kocaeli’s Körfez | 575,869 |
| 7 | Yılport Gebze | Kocaeli | 551,726 |
| 8 | Gemport | Bursa | 524,652 |
| 9 | Evyapport | Marmara | 464,756 |
| 10 | Nemport | Izmir | 390,071 |
Turkey is a country that spans two continents, Europe and Asia. It has 58 airports, both domestic and international, from which to fly anywhere in the country or around the world. The developed airports offer significant convenience in terms of international links as well as access to every part of the country.
In comparison to Turkish seaside cities like Antalya, Alanya, Bodrum, and Marmaris, the capital Ankara receives few tourists. Here we will give selected information about the busiest airports in turkey.
| Rank | Airport | IATA | Location | Passengers (2019) |
| 1 | Istanbul Airport | IST | Istanbul | 52,009,220 |
| 2 | Antalya Airport | AYT | Antalia | 35,679,421 |
| 3 | Sabiha Gökçen Airport | SAW | Pendik | 35,465,508 |
| 4 | Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport | SAW | Istanbul | 35,560,610 |
| 5 | Ankara Esenboga Airport | ESB | Ankara | 13,740,595 |
| 6 | Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport | ADB | Izmir | 12,365,256 |
| 7 | Adana Airport | ADA | Seyhan | 5,057,788 |
| 8 | Dalaman Airport | DLM | Muğla | 4,905,019 |
| 9 | Milas-Bodrum Airport | BJV | Bodrum | 4,337,733 |
| 10 | Trabzon Airport | TZX | Ortahisar | 3,770,878 |
The UAE has numerous seaports. The UAE is home to two of the world’s top 50 container ports, according to the World Shipping Council. Here are the top 5 busiest ports in the United Arab Emirates.
| Rank | Port Name | Location | TEU(2019) |
| 1 | Port Jebel Ali (AEJEA) | Dubai | 71 million |
| 2 | Mina Zayed(AEMZD) | Abu Dhabi | 767,000 TEUs |
| 3 | Mina Rashid (AEPRA) | Dubai | 22.4 million |
| 4 | MinaKhalid (AEKHA) | Sharjah | |
| 5 | Khor Fakkan(AEKLF) | Sharjah | 2 million |
United Arab Emirates’ international country code is AE or ARE. Some of the busiest airports in the UAE are listed below.
| IATA | Name | City | Airlines | Destinations |
| DXB | Dubai International Airport | Dubai | 84 | 188 |
| AUH | Abu Dhabi International Airport | Abu Dhabi | 58 | 87 |
| SHJ | Sharjah International Airport | Sharjah | 16 | 78 |
| DWC | Al Maktoum International Airport | Jebel Ali | 11 | 40 |
| IATA | Name | Destinations |
| EK | Emirates | 134 |
| EY | Etihad (Etihad Airways) | 105 |
| G9 | Arabia (Air Arabia) | 66 |
| FZ | Fly Dubai | 66 |
Customs clearance in UAE will take place there, which usually takes 4-7 days. This time range might change throughout the year. Deliveries to major cities are generally made within 7 days of approval.
The Bill of Lading, if it is ocean freight or the Airway Bill, if it is air freight, will be required initially. Which will be exchanged with the delivery order from the relevant shipping company or airline. A freight forwarder will create the import papers and submit the request to customs after they have received the delivery order and all necessary documents.
To clear the customs of an import shipment arriving at a seaport or airport in UAE, you must have all of the above-mentioned documents.
Freight is frequently the most expensive component of the supply chain. Businesses must be concerned with the logistics of freight and the extra costs that may impact their profit margins. Duties and GST, storage fees, demurrage fees, detention fees, inspection fees, waiting time, additional fuel surcharges, and so on are all things to keep in mind.
These are some key factors you need to be considered when you choose a mode of transportation:
Consider longer-distance transport options for less-urgent cargo. Request that your forwarder compare various flights and/or shipping lines to get the top option for your business.
Qafila is a specialist in shipping goods of any weight or size, and we don’t limit our clients to certain pallet sizes. Even if you are delivering huge cargo or items that extend beyond the pallet base, you will be able to benefit from very affordable prices.
We’ve compiled a list of the quickest and most cost-effective methods of moving palletized products throughout the UAE and around the world. To ensure that your deliveries are done swiftly, securely, and affordably, we only engage the largest and most reputable carriers.
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