Al Fujayrah
UN/LOCODE AEFJR · United Arab Emirates · IMO-designated crew-change hub
Why this port is a crew-change hub
Al Fujayrah is one of 115 ports named in IMO Circular MSC.1/Circ.1636 as a designated crew-change hub. Ports made the list on the basis of accessible international airports, established agent networks, welfare-centre infrastructure, and — during the pandemic — visa-facilitation frameworks that allowed sign-on and sign-off crew to transit without lengthy quarantine. That combination continues to make these ports the practical corridors most seafarers move through today.
Airport and transit
Nearest major airport for crew changes is Fujairah International Airport (FJR), roughly 1 km from the port. Confirm the exact terminal handover point with the ship's agent — many hubs have multiple terminals with different immigration processes.
Shore leave and practical briefing
Al Fujayrah is the UAE's principal east-coast bunkering + tanker anchorage — the world's second-largest bunker port after Singapore by volume. Most crew activity is offshore anchorage or tanker berths; shore leave is possible but the town is small and paperwork is stricter than at Jebel Ali. Standard UAE seaman's book procedure. Mission to Seafarers operates a modest centre in Fujairah town.