Shipping
Everything sellers ask us about UAE delivery: how fast we move, how far we cover, how the cut-offs work, and what happens when a buyer is not home. Real-time tracking ships on every parcel, so the answers below are not promises, they are the operational defaults you can verify from the dashboard.
How long does delivery take across UAE?
Section titled “How long does delivery take across UAE?”Same-day to most Dubai addresses for orders placed before 14:00 Dubai time. Next-day to Sharjah, Ajman, and Abu Dhabi city. Two-day to Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, and Al Ain. Remote islands (Sir Bani Yas, Delma, Yas inland) take three to five days through sub-contracted lanes. Full matrix in delivery timelines and the breakdown by service tier in last-mile delivery.
Do you offer same-day delivery in Dubai?
Section titled “Do you offer same-day delivery in Dubai?”Yes. The conditions: stock is already on our shelves in Ras Al Khor, the order lands in our system before 14:00 Dubai time, and the buyer address is inside our same-day Dubai zone (everything except outer Hatta and far Lehbab). Same-day attempts run on weekday afternoons. Orders past the cut-off auto-roll to the next operational day. Pricing per order is in delivery rates.
Do you deliver to all 7 Emirates?
Section titled “Do you deliver to all 7 Emirates?”Yes. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain are part of our daily route plan with our own drivers. Remote zones (Sir Bani Yas, Delma, parts of Liwa) ride on sub-contracted carriers and add 1 to 3 days. There is no surcharge for the seven mainland Emirates, only for the remote sub-contracted lanes.
What is your dispatch cut-off time?
Section titled “What is your dispatch cut-off time?”14:00 Dubai time for same-day Dubai dispatch, 18:00 for next-day dispatch to all other Emirates. Orders received after the cut-off roll into the next operational day. We hold the same cut-offs through Ramadan, summer, month-end peaks, and Black Friday; the only exceptions are public holidays, which are published on the dashboard a week ahead. Detail in cut-off times.
Can I schedule a specific delivery window?
Section titled “Can I schedule a specific delivery window?”Standard windows are AM (09:00 to 13:00) and PM (14:00 to 19:00), buyer-selectable on the tracking page. Buyers can reschedule once, free, via the same page or by replying to the dispatch SMS. Tighter 90-minute windows are available as a premium option for high-value or scheduled-install SKUs (jewellery, electronics setup, made-to-order). Talk to your account manager to enable.
Do you call the customer before delivery?
Section titled “Do you call the customer before delivery?”Drivers WhatsApp the buyer 15 minutes before arrival on every drop, with the live ETA and a confirm-or-reschedule prompt. COD orders also get a courtesy SMS the morning of delivery to confirm the address. We do not cold call buyers without an order on file, and we do not pass buyer phone numbers to third parties. Photo and signature proof is captured on every drop; see proof of delivery.
What happens if the customer isn’t home?
Section titled “What happens if the customer isn’t home?”The driver tries the bell, calls the buyer, and WhatsApps with a reschedule prompt. If there is no response, we leave a digital miss-attempt note (no paper) and re-route the parcel for a second attempt. After three misses across separate days, the parcel returns to our warehouse and a return fee applies. The per-attempt fee structure (first included, second AED 15 per order, third included) is documented in delivery rates. The full miss-and-return flow is in returns process.
How many delivery attempts do you make?
Section titled “How many delivery attempts do you make?”Three. Attempt one runs in the buyer-selected window and is included in the delivery rate. Attempt two is rescheduled by the buyer via the tracking page or WhatsApp at AED 15 per order. Attempt three is a final courtesy try, included, usually on a different day and time of day. After the third miss, the parcel goes back to Ras Al Khor and surfaces in your dashboard as “Returned to warehouse” with the miss reason logged. Detail in delivery rates.
Can I track my outbound shipments?
Section titled “Can I track my outbound shipments?”Yes. Every shipment is tracked end to end from dispatch to drop. Sellers get a single dashboard view with live status per order, plus aggregate metrics: on-time rate, average transit time, refusal rate by Emirate, and trend lines week over week. Exports as CSV for accounting. Operational detail in tracking.
Can my customers track their orders?
Section titled “Can my customers track their orders?”Yes. On dispatch, the buyer gets an SMS and an email with a tracking link branded with your store name and logo. The page shows the parcel status, the live driver location once it is out for delivery, the ETA window, a reschedule button, and a “contact driver” WhatsApp shortcut. No SamVertex branding on the buyer-facing page unless you want it. More on the buyer experience in tracking.
Do you deliver to PO boxes and free zones?
Section titled “Do you deliver to PO boxes and free zones?”PO boxes: no. UAE last-mile is door-to-door, and a PO box has no door. We will refuse a PO-box-only address at intake and ask for a physical address. Free zones: yes for most (DMCC, JLT, JAFZA, DSO, IFZA, Hamriyah, RAKEZ, ADGM, Masdar). DAFZA after working hours and a small set of restricted-access zones need a contact on site or a pre-arranged guard pass; flag those at order creation.
What are your weight and size limits per shipment?
Section titled “What are your weight and size limits per shipment?”Standard last-mile parcel: up to 20 kg, dimensions up to 80 x 60 x 60 cm. Multi-piece shipments are fine; we keep them together by tracking number. Beyond the parcel limit, including furniture, appliances, and other heavy or oversized goods, we dispatch on a dedicated truck at a separate rate. Pallet-level B2B drops (full or half pallet) ride on the same dedicated truck service. Request a quote for furniture and heavy goods delivery via request a quote.
Do you handle fragile, temperature-sensitive, or hazardous items?
Section titled “Do you handle fragile, temperature-sensitive, or hazardous items?”Fragile: yes, with extra packaging at pick (bubble, foam, “Fragile” labels) and a flagged route to soft-handled vehicles. Temperature-sensitive: ambient and chilled are supported daily; frozen we handle on a case basis depending on volume and lane. Hazardous (DG): only with class declaration, MSDS on file, approved packaging, and a written acceptance from us. Some classes are off-limits regardless of fee. See restricted items.
What items are prohibited?
Section titled “What items are prohibited?”Alcohol without a proper UAE licence, weapons and ammunition, narcotics, live animals, perishable food without cold chain, counterfeit goods, currency, religious materials targeting the UAE, and anything banned by UAE customs or municipality. Some borderline categories (vapes, supplements, cosmetics with active ingredients) need a registration check before we can ship. Full list and grey-area cases in restricted items.
Do you ship internationally outbound?
Section titled “Do you ship internationally outbound?”Outbound international is not our core offering. We focus on UAE last-mile and inbound freight from China. For outbound to GCC neighbours (KSA, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar) we partner with regional carriers and can quote on a per-shipment basis; ping us via request a quote. For outbound beyond GCC, we will refer you to a specialist rather than quote half a service.
How do customer-initiated returns work?
Section titled “How do customer-initiated returns work?”The buyer requests a return via your storefront or by WhatsApping our team. We schedule a pickup, collect at the door (same Emirates coverage as outbound), transport back to Ras Al Khor, and inspect. Based on the rule you set per SKU we then restock, dispose, or return-to-vendor. Photo proof is taken at pickup and at inspection. Full step-by-step in returns process and pricing in returns fee.