Jebel Ali
UN/LOCODE AEJEA · United Arab Emirates · Middle East
Crew guide
Shore leave
Jebel Ali, on the southern outskirts of Dubai, is the world's largest man-made port and the principal Middle East transhipment hub. Shore leave is granted to seafarers with a seaman's book under the UAE's port-call procedure. Welfare provision via Mission to Seafarers Dubai + Stella Maris + multiple Christian and Islamic seafarer welfare organisations active in the Gulf.
Walking distance + transit
Jebel Ali Port is 40-60 minutes from central Dubai by agent van or Dubai Metro (Red Line extension reaches the area). Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 60-75 minutes north.
Essentials
- ATMs: Emirates NBD, FAB, ENBD, ADCB everywhere; airport on arrival has many
- Money changers: Dubai Gold Souq (Deira), every mall has multiple options
- Hospital: American Hospital Dubai, Saudi German Hospital, Rashid Hospital (public)
- Prayer rooms: UAE is majority-Muslim — mosques and musallahs everywhere
- Halal food: default — UAE is overwhelmingly halal-by-default
- Supermarket: Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket, Spinneys 24/7 at many locations
- SIM card: Etisalat or du at airport or any mall; AED55-100 for tourist plan
Seafarer tips
Do: use the Dubai Metro (excellent and cheap); carry water (the heat is intense year-round). Don't: drink alcohol outside licensed venues; behave conservatively in public during Ramadan. Watch for: UAE labour law and shore-leave processing are strict. The welfare centres run reliable transport; never use unmetered taxis. Crew-change at Jebel Ali is one of the world's largest crew-change operations — expect well-developed support infrastructure.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Jebel Ali (UN/LOCODE AEJEA) is a designated seaport in United Arab Emirates in the tropical northern Indian Ocean region. The port operates on Asia/Dubai, uses the UAE Dirham (AED), runs shore power at 230V/50Hz (Type G). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), 12 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 24.9775987, 55.0910742
- Time zone
- Asia/DubaiUTC +04:00no DST
- Local currency
- AED— UAE Dirham
- Languages
- ar, en
- Nearest airport
- DWCAl Maktoum International Airport~12 km
- Electricity
- 230 V50 Hzplugs G(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- BWhHot desert
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 1-------
seaport
- Port authority
- Jabel Ali Port | Port Operations | DP World
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Jebel Ali Port Control / DP World VTS
- VHF: Ch 16 / 69
- Phone: +971 4 881 5050
- Web: www.dpworld.com/en/ports-terminals/uae/jebel-ali-port
P&I correspondents
- · Pandi Marine UAE
- · Holman Fenwick Willan Dubai
- · Sumcoship Dubai
Port agents
- · GAC Jebel Ali
- · Inchcape Jebel Ali
- · Wilhelmsen Ships Service UAE
ISPS security level (normal): 1
World's ninth-largest container port; DP World flagship terminal; mandatory pilotage; US-sanctions vessel screening; Jebel Ali Free Zone.
Helplines for seafarers in United Arab Emirates
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- ITF UAE InspectorateMiddle East · Office hours, 24/7 emergencies · en, ar
- UKMTO Dubai (Indian Ocean / Gulf of Aden)Middle East · 24/7 · en
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
Other ports in United Arab Emirates
Survival information
Practical information for crew arriving here. Verified where possible — see sources. Spot a mistake or missing detail? Tell us.
Emergency contacts
- UAE Emergency (Police): 999 · 24/7
- UAE Emergency (Ambulance): 998 · 24/7
- DP World Jebel Ali — Marine Operations: +971 4 881 5555 · 24/7
Hospitals / clinics
- Mediclinic Parkview HospitalUmm Suqeim Road, Dubai
Shore leave
UAE issues a port-specific Shore Pass via the agent. Passport + Discharge Book + Joining/Leaving Letter typically required. For onward travel through Dubai (DXB) for sign-off, most crew transit visa-free if onward-airline-ticket holds; agent arranges everything. Reference: u.ae.
Plan it: /tools/shore-leave-port-card
Transport
Nearest major airport: Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC (~12 km)). Vessel agent normally arranges taxi or seafarer-centre shuttle to/from the airport at sign-on / sign-off. Confirm transport with the agent at least 24 hours before disembarkation.
SIM & Wi-Fi
Major operators: Etisalat, du. Prepaid SIM at DXB / DWC airport arrivals. Free Wi-Fi at Mission to Seafarers Dubai + Stella Maris (Jebel Ali Free Zone).
Consular contacts
Related rights: shore leave · medical care · abandonment · unpaid wages.
Port-state-control region: riyadh MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Jebel Ali: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Jebel Ali?
- Shore leave at Jebel Ali: UAE issues a port-specific Shore Pass via the agent. Passport + Discharge Book + Joining/Leaving Letter typically required. For onward travel through Dubai (DXB) for sign-off, most crew transit visa-free if onward-airline-ticket holds; agent arranges everything. Reference: u.ae.. Shore leave policy is set by the port authority, the flag administration, and the visa regime of United Arab Emirates. Confirm with the agent before stepping ashore.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Jebel Ali?
- Seafarers calling at Jebel Ali on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. United Arab Emirates may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Jebel Ali?
- Yes — 2 seafarer welfare centres are listed for Jebel Ali in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Jebel Ali?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for United Arab Emirates in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Jebel Ali?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), about 12 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Jebel Ali a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Jebel Ali is listed in our directory of recognised crew-change hubs, consolidated from IMO MSC.1/Circ.1636, ICS/IFSMA briefings, and ITF priority-port reports. Recognised hubs typically have better port-state and immigration facilitation for crew-change operations, faster visa processing for seafarers, and more welfare-centre presence.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (13)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (AE)retrieved 2026-05-06
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (AE)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (AED)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (AED)retrieved 2026-05-06
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (AE)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Dubai)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Dubai)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Dubai)retrieved 2026-05-06
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (AE)retrieved 2026-05-06
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1-------)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (DWC)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q509588)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (AE)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.