Service
Air Freight from China to Middle East
Standard and express air freight from mainland China and Hong Kong to all major Middle East gateways.
What's included
- Pickup from your supplier or our Guangzhou warehouse
- Export customs filing and AWB issuance
- Cargo insurance at
0.15%of invoice value (optional) - Direct uplift on a major carrier (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Saudia, Cathay)
- Destination handling at the arrival airport
- Optional customs clearance and last-mile trucking
- Door-to-door tracking via the AWB number
How it works
- You send dimensions, weight, HS codes, and pickup address.
- We quote standard and express options within
4 hours. - You confirm; we book and pick up next day.
- Cargo flies on the next direct flight, typically
2-4 daysafter pickup. - AWB tracking is live; you see departure, transit, and arrival times.
- On arrival, customs clearance and delivery in
1-3 days.
Pricing
Indicative 2026 rates per chargeable kilogram, ex-China origin to ME airport. Volume breaks at +45 kg, +100 kg, +300 kg, +500 kg, +1,000 kg.
| Service | Origin | Destination | Rate ($/kg) | Door-to-door |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Shenzhen / HKG | DXB | 5.00 | 7-10 days |
| Standard | Shanghai | DXB | 5.50 | 8-12 days |
| Standard | Shenzhen / HKG | RUH / JED | 6.00 | 9-12 days |
| Express | Anywhere CN | DXB / AUH | 13.00 | 3-5 days |
| Express | Anywhere CN | RUH / JED | 14.50 | 4-6 days |
What you get
- Master and house AWB issued within
24 hoursof pickup - Live tracking by AWB number
- Predictable transit on weekly schedules
- Single invoice combining freight, customs, and last-mile
- Dedicated handling for batteries, dangerous goods, and oversize where supported
When to use this vs. alternatives
Use air for shipments under ~150 kg, for high-value-to-weight cargo (electronics, watches, fashion samples), and for restocks where being out of stock costs more than the freight premium. Use express only when transit matters more than cost or when sea space is unavailable during peak. For everything else, sea freight is a fraction of the per-kg cost. For sample shipments below 30 kg, integrator courier (DHL, FedEx) door-to-door is usually faster and easier than booked air freight.
Frequently asked questions
How is chargeable weight calculated? +
IATA volumetric divisor is
6,000: chargeable weight is the higher of actual kilos or (L x W x H in cm) / 6000. Express courier services like DHL use 5,000 instead, making volumetric weight 20% higher.What is the difference between standard and express air? +
Standard air freight uses commercial passenger or freighter belly space, transits
7-12 days door-to-door, and starts at $5/kg. Express uses dedicated freighter networks (FedEx, DHL, UPS) with 3-5 day door-to-door and starts at $13/kg.When is air worth it over sea? +
When the value-to-weight ratio is above roughly
$30/kg, when stockout cost is high, or when the order is below ~150 kg total. For everything else, sea freight wins on cost.What about lithium batteries and powerbanks? +
Lithium-ion batteries (UN3480 standalone, UN3481 packed with equipment) require a Section II or Section IB DGR declaration and only some carriers accept them. Add
$80-150 per shipment for handling and limit to specific routings (typically Hong Kong-Dubai). Pure lithium-ion cells without equipment are restricted on most passenger flights.Which Middle East airports do you serve? +
Direct: Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH), Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), Doha (DOH), Kuwait (KWI). Onward trucking to Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Dammam, Medina is included as needed.
Can you ship from Hong Kong instead of mainland? +
Yes, and for many lanes Hong Kong is faster and cheaper. We truck from Shenzhen factories to HKG, file the export, and put cargo on the next available flight. Hong Kong has
3-4 daily direct flights to Dubai versus 1-2 from Shenzhen.How is air freight billed? +
Per kilogram of chargeable weight, plus fuel surcharge, security charge, and AWB fee. Origin handling is typically
$60-100 flat. Destination charges run $80-150 plus terminal handling. We always show charges as a clear breakdown.Ready to ship from China to the UAE or KSA?
Get a same-day quote with rates, transit time, and a clear list of what is included.