Middle East · UAE

Ship Chandler Software for
Dubai

Ship chandlers at Port of Jebel Ali use Tidal to turn RFQ emails into priced quotes in under 30 minutes, matched to their own catalogue and margin rules. Send us one real RFQ and we will quote it with you on a 30 minute call.

  • Built for ship chandlers and marine suppliers who quote vessels calling at Dubai
  • One AI-native ERP for RFQs, quotes, purchase orders, invoices and stock, matched to your own catalogue and margin rules
  • You approve every line before the quote goes out. Live in about a week, no IT team needed
See how it works Is Tidal right for you?

Get a live demo on one of your own RFQs

Leave your work email and company. We reply within one business day to set up 30 minutes, then quote a real RFQ from Dubai with you.

Looking for a ship chandler in Dubai, or selling to us? Read this first.

Is this for you?

Software for the chandlers who supply Dubai, not a chandler

Tidal is quoting software. Ship chandlers and marine suppliers use it to answer buyer RFQs faster. We do not supply vessels ourselves.

A good fit if you

  • Run a chandlery or marine supply business serving vessels at Dubai
  • Retype buyer RFQs into spreadsheets or your ERP before you can price them
  • Lose orders because a faster supplier answered first
  • Want consistent prices and margins on every quote, whoever prepares it

Not the right page if you

  • Need provisions or stores delivered to a vessel. Tidal does not supply ships, please contact a local chandler or your ship agent.
  • Want to sell products or services to Tidal. The demo form is for chandlers and suppliers looking at the software.
  • Are looking for a job. Please see the Agility careers page.

How it works

From buyer RFQ to priced quote, on your own catalogue

What changes for a Dubai chandler on the first day with Tidal.

  1. 1

    RFQ arrives

    By email, PDF, Excel or a portal export. Tidal reads every line, including vague descriptions and missing codes.

  2. 2

    Lines matched

    Each line is matched to your own catalogue and item codes, with unclear lines flagged for your team.

  3. 3

    Priced your way

    Your supplier prices, client tiers and margin rules are applied. You review and approve every line.

  4. 4

    Quote goes out

    Send the quote, turn it into a sales order, then check supplier invoices against it when they arrive.

See it working

A real quote, priced line by line

Quote Desk showing a generated quote with each line priced from the catalogue
Quote Desk: each RFQ line matched to the catalogue and priced, ready for your approval.

Quote Desk

Turns buyer RFQs into priced quotes and sales orders from your own catalogue and supplier prices.

See Quote Desk

Invoice Capture

Reads supplier invoices from a photo or PDF and checks them against the order before they reach your accounts.

See Invoice Capture

Meet us at IMPA Singapore

Stand SUZ 4, Suntec, 24 to 25 November 2026. Bring an RFQ and see it priced.

Plan your visit
Dubai Creek waterfront
Photo: lam_chihang (CC BY 2.0)

Dubai and its ports

A trading city built on its creek, now home to the largest port in the Middle East

Dubai grew as a trading town on its creek, where dhows still load goods for Iran, East Africa and the wider Indian Ocean. Port Rashid opened in 1972 and Jebel Ali, south of the city, in 1979. Jebel Ali has since become the largest port in the Middle East, with a free zone beside it. The city also has major dry docks and is a centre for ship management and trading.

For a ship supplier, Dubai offers almost every kind of customer: container ships at Jebel Ali, tankers, offshore vessels, ships in dry dock, cruise ships in winter and dhows on the creek. Many ship managers and buyers are based in the city. RFQs arrive at all hours, and buyers compare several suppliers. Speed and accuracy in quoting usually decide who wins the order.

Time zone
GST, UTC+4 (no daylight saving)
Business languages
English and Arabic
Working week
Monday to Friday (government works a shorter Friday)
TEU a year
14M+
vessel calls/year
25,000+

Business culture

Business in Dubai is international, and English is the main working language, with Arabic used in official matters and Hindi, Urdu and other languages common in the trade. Relationships matter, but buyers also expect quick, competitive written quotes. WhatsApp is used heavily for day to day contact. During Ramadan working hours are shorter, and the Eid holidays close many offices for several days.

Port and maritime heritage

Dubai's creek was a pearling and trading harbour long before oil. Sheikh Rashid had it dredged around 1960 so larger boats could enter. Port Rashid opened in 1972, and Jebel Ali, then one of the largest man made harbours in the world, opened in 1979. The Jebel Ali Free Zone followed in 1985 and drew trading and logistics companies from around the world.

Local market

Container ships, tankers, offshore support vessels and ships in dry dock make up most of the demand, alongside cruise ships in the cooler months and dhows trading to Iran and East Africa. Many buyers are ship managers based in Dubai buying for ships worldwide. They expect fast, priced quotes, delivery to Jebel Ali, Port Rashid or the anchorage, and clean paperwork.

Working with us from Dubai

Working with us from Dubai starts with a remote 30 minute demo on one of your own RFQs. Tidal is set up on your catalogue and margin rules with no IT team needed, and most chandlers are live in about a week. India is 90 minutes ahead of the UAE, so nearly all of the Dubai working day falls within our team's normal hours.

FAQ

Common questions from Dubai ship chandlers

How does Tidal handle multi currency RFQs for Dubai ship chandlers?
Dubai chandlers routinely quote in USD, AED, and EUR within the same RFQ, depending on the vessel operator's preference and flag state. Tidal supports per client currency configuration, you set the default currency and any client specific override in your account settings, and the quote is generated in the correct currency automatically. Margin rules can be set independently per currency and per client, ensuring that exchange rate fluctuations do not compress your profitability on long cycle orders. No manual currency conversion or formula maintenance is required on your side.
Can Tidal handle the RFQ volume from Jebel Ali's 24/7 vessel schedule?
Yes. Jebel Ali operates around the clock and vessel RFQs arrive at all hours, particularly from tankers and bulk carriers on the Asia Gulf Europe trade lanes. Tidal processes incoming RFQs automatically regardless of when they arrive. Your team wakes up to completed quotes ready for review, not a backlog of unread emails. For Dubai chandlers competing against regional rivals across Fujairah and Sharjah, the ability to respond to overnight RFQs before competitors open their inboxes has a direct impact on win rates.
Does Tidal integrate with ERP systems used by Dubai chandlers?
Tidal integrates with ShipNet and Bassnet, the most widely used maritime ERP platforms in the Gulf region. If your operation runs one of these, Tidal can pull live inventory levels and push confirmed orders and purchase orders directly. If you use a different system or run on spreadsheets, Tidal works fully standalone, just your email inbox and product catalogue are needed to go live. Most Dubai chandlers are fully operational within one week of kickoff, regardless of which setup they start with.

Related pages

Ship Chandlers in Abu Dhabi Ship Chandlers in Fujairah Ship Chandlers in Singapore Ship Chandlers in Salalah

Send us one RFQ from Dubai

We will quote it with Tidal on a 30 minute call, line by line against your own catalogue, so you can compare it with how long it takes your team today.

Book a Free Demo