Scottish Seafood for Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers in the Gulf
A professional kitchen in the Gulf buys seafood under three pressures at once: the menu has to stay the same from week to week, the product has to arrive cold in a hot climate, and the paperwork has to satisfy the local authorities before anything reaches the kitchen door. This page explains what Al Shene Marine Holding supplies to the hotel, restaurant and catering trade in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, in which forms, how it is packed and shipped, and how a buyer in the region orders through our Dubai office.
Who this page is for
We supply at trade scale. Fresh product by air starts at one pallet, about 500 kg to 1 tonne, and frozen product by sea starts at one reefer container, about 12 to 26 tonnes. The buyers who work with us directly in the Gulf therefore order at that level:
| Buyer | What they usually need from a supplier | How we serve it |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel groups and large hotels | A steady range for several outlets, banqueting and room service | Fresh by air, frozen by sea, one office for all four countries |
| Restaurant groups | Consistent cuts so dishes look the same in every branch | Fillets, portions and shellfish in defined forms |
| Caterers | Planned volumes for events and contracts | Frozen stock in IQF packs, ordered ahead |
| Importers and food distributors | Product they can resell to kitchens across the region | Full pallets and full containers, documents prepared |
| Retail chains | Products under their own name | Private label packing |
Why the Dubai office matters to a kitchen
Dubai is the global management and finance headquarters of the company and its Gulf distribution and trade office. Operations, finance and distribution for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are run from there. For a hotel purchasing manager this means one counterpart for offers, invoices and questions, wherever in the four countries the goods are going. The seafood itself is sourced, processed, packed and quality-checked at our integrated sites in Scotland, at Edinburgh and the Port of Leith and at Grangemouth, with field operations, blast freezing and cold storage at Aberdeen Ports & Docks.
What a Gulf kitchen can order
Fish
- Scottish salmon: whole head-on gutted (HOG), fillets with pin bones removed (PBO) or left in (PBI), portions, and oak-smoked salmon.
- Sea trout and rainbow trout.
- Haddock and cod: fillets, blocks and portions.
- Plaice and sole: supplied specifically for restaurant and hotel kitchens.
- Mackerel: IQF, whole or in chunks.
- Herring: marinated, salted or as frozen fillets.
Shellfish
- Scottish langoustine: live by air, fresh or frozen.
- Crab, brown and velvet: shipped alive, supplied cooked, or picked as crab meat.
- European lobster: live or frozen.
- Scallops: hand-collected by divers or trawled, offered in the shell or as meat.
- Mussels and oysters: from certified waters.
Value-added lines
Salmon and cod caviar and roe, octopus and squid, and smoked and marinated specialities such as lakerda, marinated anchovy and herring, smoked shellfish and meze.
Fresh or frozen: choosing by menu
The choice between chilled and frozen is rarely about quality alone; it is about how the kitchen plans.
| Need in the kitchen | Better suited form | How it travels |
|---|---|---|
| Fish served as the centre of the plate, changed seasonally | Fresh chilled salmon, trout, plaice or sole | Air cargo, iced EPS boxes |
| Live shellfish for display or à la minute cooking | Live langoustine, crab or lobster | Air cargo |
| Banqueting and buffets with planned volumes | Frozen portions and fillets | Reefer container by sea |
| Dishes that use part of a pack at a time | IQF products in vacuum inner packs | Reefer container by sea |
| Cold starters and meze | Smoked and marinated lines | By agreement in the offer |
Chilled fish and live shellfish for the Gulf are flown out the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Frozen products go by sea in reefer containers loaded at Leith and Grangemouth.
Keeping it cold in a hot region
Heat is the main risk for chilled seafood heading to the Gulf. Our chilled stock is held at +2 °C until it ships, and frozen stock at −25 °C. Every air shipment carries a temperature data logger, so the record of the journey from loading to arrival is available to the buyer. If a hotel's quality team wants to check the temperature history of a delivery, it does not have to rely on a single reading taken at the receiving dock.
Packing that suits a kitchen
Chilled fish and shellfish go into EPS boxes with ice, in three weights: 6, 10 and 20 kg. The three sizes let a buyer match box weight to how quickly a product is used: a small box of a premium fish is opened and finished quickly, while a 20 kg box suits a high-volume item. Frozen products are packed as IQF in vacuum inner packs inside master cartons, so a kitchen can take what a service needs and leave the rest in the freezer. Retail chains can order private label packing.
Certifications and Halal
The company's certifications include UK/EC Approval for the Scottish processing and freezing plant, BRCGS Food Safety at grade A, HACCP, ISO 22000, MSC, ASC and Halal. ISO 22000 covers the whole facility and all processed products; MSC and ASC apply only to the relevant product groups. Gulf buyers who need to show Halal certification to their own auditors should say so in the enquiry.
Documents for Gulf imports
Each export consignment leaves with the papers its destination requires: a Health Certificate where the importing country asks for one, a certificate of origin, and a CITES permit for any species that needs it. The company follows customs clearance through. A buyer who wants eyes on the goods before loading can send its own representative or appoint an independent body such as SGS.
How to order
- Write to info@sultanrashid.com. Name the products, the form (for example salmon fillet PBO, or live lobster), fresh or frozen, the box size, the quantity and the destination country.
- Receive the offer from Dubai. It sets out the specification, packing, route, documents and payment terms.
- Confirm and pay the advance. A 30% advance goes by T/T on confirmation and the 70% balance falls due against the bill of lading copy. Buyers placing large volumes may use an irrevocable L/C at sight instead.
- Production and dispatch from Scotland. The order is processed and packed, inspected if requested, and shipped by air or sea.
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply hotels and restaurants directly?
Yes, at trade volumes: one pallet for fresh product by air and one reefer container for frozen product by sea. For a single smaller outlet, buying through an importer or distributor that orders at these volumes is the practical route.
Which Gulf countries do you cover?
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, all handled by the Dubai office.
Are your products Halal?
Halal is among the company's certifications. Ask about it in your enquiry, and the offer will answer for the products you name.
Can live lobster and langoustine be sent to the Gulf?
Yes. Live shellfish leave the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Which fish are aimed at restaurant menus?
Plaice and sole are supplied specifically for restaurant and hotel kitchens, alongside fresh Scottish salmon in fillets or portions.
Can we have our own brand on the packs?
Private label packing is available for retail chains.