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Onion Supplier to Dubai & the UAE

Your container never crosses the Strait of Hormuz.

We discharge at Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, on the Gulf of Oman coast, outside the Strait. That is why our UAE lane still carries a firm published price while other Gulf lanes are quoted week to week. Indian red onion from Nashik, graded to your band, five to seven days from Nhava Sheva.

$870 per tonne CIF
Fujairah / Khor Fakkan · 18 Sep · export-grade Indian red onion
About $24,360 for a 28-tonne 40ft reefer, before the 5% GCC duty and your inland costs. Behind it, our Nashik buying rate today is ₹49–54 per kg. Republished every market day on the price page.
Outside
The Strait of Hormuz
5–7 d
Nhava Sheva to Fujairah
28 t
Per 40ft reefer, 0–4 °C
5%
GCC duty on CIF, payable by you
The routing, and why it matters

Fujairah and Khor Fakkan sit on the right side of the Strait.

Jebel Ali is inside the Strait of Hormuz. Fujairah and Khor Fakkan are on the Gulf of Oman coast, outside it. With the Strait disrupted, that is not a technicality — it is the difference between a rate we can hold and a rate that moves under you.

The trade-off, stated plainly: you take a short overland leg from Fujairah or Khor Fakkan into Dubai or Sharjah, roughly ninety minutes to two hours by road, in exchange for no chokepoint exposure and a price we will stand behind. If your operation specifically needs Jebel Ali discharge, say so and we will quote that separately rather than pretend the two are the same.

Load portNhava Sheva (JNPT), Mumbai. Graded, cured and loaded at Nashik.
DischargeFujairah or Khor Fakkan — outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Transit5–7 days, plus your road leg to Dubai or Sharjah.
Container40ft reefer at 0–4 °C, about 28 tonnes.
Grades45–55 mm is the Gulf retail standard; 55 mm+ for catering and premium retail; 25–35 mm and 35–45 mm for processing and value retail.
Packing25 kg PP leno mesh standard; 5, 10, 20 kg mesh for supermarket programmes; 50 kg jute on request. Private-label mesh on a repeat programme.
HS code07031010.
Minimum orderOne 40ft container. No LCL, no part loads.
Payment30% advance to confirm, 70% against a copy of the bill of lading. Quoted in USD, CIF Fujairah / Khor Fakkan or FOB Nhava Sheva.
Documentation

Who does what, so nothing waits at the gate.

Most first-time UAE imports are delayed by paperwork at the buyer’s end, not by the cargo. Here is the split.

We provide, from India

  • Phytosanitary certificate from the Plant Quarantine Department. It is valid only 7 days for perishables, so it is issued against your actual sailing.
  • Certificate of origin
  • Commercial invoice and packing list with lot numbers and weights matching exactly — a mismatch here is a classic hold
  • Bill of lading under HS 07031010
  • Our IEC and APEDA registrations behind all of it

You need, at the UAE end

  • MOCCAE import permit — must be issued before the vessel departs India, valid six months. This is the one that catches new buyers out.
  • FIRS registration on the Dubai Municipality Food Import and Re-export System
  • UAE trade licence covering food or produce trading
  • Customs importer code
  • The 5% GCC import duty on CIF value

Labelling: bags must carry bilingual Arabic and English text, country of origin (India), net weight, and your name and registration as the UAE importer. Stickering after arrival is permitted but slows inspection — send your label artwork at the quote stage and we print before loading where the order size supports it.

Nothing is added at the Indian end. India scrapped the minimum export price on 13 September 2024 and the 20% export duty on 1 April 2025, and GST on exports is zero-rated.

Sources: Dubai Municipality Food Import and Re-export System; MOCCAE import permit requirements; GCC common customs tariff.

The market

Al Aweer is where the grade gets judged.

Most of Dubai’s wholesale fresh produce trade changes hands at the Al Aweer Central Fruit & Vegetable Market, and grade expectations there are strict. A container that would pass in a looser market gets marked down at Al Aweer, which is why we would rather spec the band with you before loading than argue about it after discharge.

Tell us the channel — Al Aweer stand, supermarket programme, catering supply, or re-export onward — and the grade, pack size and labelling all follow from it. Sending a default spec into the UAE is the most common way a first container disappoints.

Who you are dealing with

A young firm, and the real numbers.

MR

Madni Ranawadiya

Partner — AL NOOR EXIM

Answers enquiries and handles documentation. The same person stays on your file from the first quote to the bill of lading. WhatsApp +91 94267 46464.

Shipment record

Indian customs records published by Volza show 33 export shipments since 2024 — 30 to Kuwait, 3 to Malaysia, red onion Grade A+ 55 mm+ under HS 0703. We are a young firm on the UAE lane. We would rather you read the real number here than find it elsewhere.

Registrations

APEDA RCMC/APEDA/08543/2024-2025 · IEC ACFFA1996C · GST 24ACFFA1996C1ZM · Udyam UDYAM-GJ-21-0023527. Verify them on our certifications page.

Before you commit

Ask for a pre-shipment sample and photographs of the graded lot before loading. On a first container to a new buyer we expect to be checked, and we would rather you did.

Questions UAE buyers ask

Straight answers on the Fujairah lane.

What is the onion rate today in Dubai?

Our CIF price into the UAE today is $870 per tonne for export-grade Indian red onion delivered to Fujairah or Khor Fakkan — about $0.87 per kg landed at the port. That is the landed cost of a container at the port, not the shelf price in a Dubai shop. Behind it, our export-grade buying rate at Nashik today is ₹49–54 per kg. We republish both every market day, so you can check the number before asking us for a quote.

Why do you ship to Fujairah and Khor Fakkan instead of Jebel Ali?

Because they sit outside the Strait of Hormuz. Fujairah and Khor Fakkan are on the Gulf of Oman coast, so a container discharged there never transits the Strait. Jebel Ali is inside it. With Hormuz disrupted, that difference is the reason our UAE lane still carries a firm published price while some Gulf lanes do not. The trade-off is honest: you take a short overland leg from Fujairah or Khor Fakkan into Dubai, roughly ninety minutes to two hours by road, in exchange for no chokepoint exposure. If you specifically need Jebel Ali discharge, say so and we will quote it separately.

How long does shipping take from India to the UAE?

Five to seven days from Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mumbai, to Fujairah or Khor Fakkan. We ship in a 40ft reefer held at 0–4 °C, about 28 tonnes. Add the road leg if your delivery point is Dubai or Sharjah.

What does a 40ft container of onions cost, landed in the UAE?

At today’s CIF of $870 per tonne, a 28-tonne 40ft reefer lands at about $24,360 CIF Fujairah or Khor Fakkan. On top of that you pay the 5% GCC import duty on CIF value — roughly $1,218 on this container — plus your clearance, the road leg to Dubai and your own margin. We quote CIF; the duty and inland costs are yours. Nothing is added at the Indian end: India scrapped the minimum export price on 13 September 2024 and the 20% export duty on 1 April 2025, and GST on exports is zero-rated.

What documents do you provide, and what do I need at my end?

We provide, from India: phytosanitary certificate (issued by the Plant Quarantine Department — note it is valid only 7 days for perishables, so it is issued against your sailing), certificate of origin, commercial invoice and packing list with lot numbers and weights matching exactly, and the bill of lading under HS 07031010. Our IEC and APEDA registrations sit behind all of it. You need, at the UAE end: a MOCCAE import permit issued before the vessel departs India and valid six months, FIRS registration on the Dubai Municipality Food Import and Re-export System, a UAE trade licence covering food or produce trading, and a customs importer code. If you are importing for the first time, tell us early — the MOCCAE permit timing is what catches new buyers out, not the cargo.

What labelling does the UAE require?

Mesh bags must carry bilingual Arabic and English text, the country of origin (India), the net weight, and your name and registration details as the UAE importer. Stickering after arrival is allowed but slows inspection, so we print to your artwork before loading where the order size supports it. Send your label file at the quote stage and it goes into the pack spec.

What size grade does the UAE market take?

45–55 mm is the Gulf retail standard and 55 mm+ moves to catering and premium retail. Smaller bands, 25–35 mm and 35–45 mm, go to processing and value retail. Al Aweer Central Fruit & Vegetable Market in Dubai is where most of the wholesale trade changes hands, and grade expectations there are strict — tell us your channel and we will spec it rather than send a default.

What packing do you use for the UAE?

25 kg PP leno mesh is standard. 5, 10 and 20 kg mesh are available for supermarket programmes, and 50 kg jute where the buyer prefers it. Private-label and multi-colour mesh printed to your brand can be arranged on a repeat programme. One 40ft reefer holds about 28 tonnes.

What are your payment terms?

30% advance to confirm the booking, and the remaining 70% against a copy of the bill of lading. Quoted in USD, CIF Fujairah or Khor Fakkan, or FOB Nhava Sheva if you prefer to arrange the sea leg. Terms on repeat shipments can be discussed once we have shipped together.

Who will I be dealing with?

Madni Ranawadiya, Partner at AL NOOR EXIM, answers enquiries and handles the documentation. The same person stays on your file from the first quote to the bill of lading. WhatsApp +91 94267 46464.

Request a UAE price

Tell us the grade, quantity and packing.

You get a firm CIF Fujairah or Khor Fakkan price the same working day, valid 72 hours. Minimum one 40ft container. The fastest reply is WhatsApp.

WhatsApp: +91 94267 46464 [email protected] Madni Ranawadiya, Partner