Shipping to United Arab Emirates: How I Became Close Friends with My Client Mansour

Shipping to United Arab Emirates: How I Became Close Friends with My Client Mansour

A few years ago, I was contacted by a customer from United Arab Emirates named Mansour. He found me online and later added me on Trade Manager. Honestly, I wasn't sure if he was serious at first. But as we continued talking, I learned that Mansour was a supplier of bed linens to local hotels. He knew that products from China were affordable but had never done any importing before. He was worried about how to find a reliable logistics company that could handle everything from import procedures to customs and logistics.

Mansour found out about Sunny Worldwide Logistics online. He saw that we've been in business for 26 years, with nearly 100 employees and our own 1,800-square-meter Grade A office space, so he felt we were a trustworthy logistics company and reached out to me.

Mansour asked me to help him purchase goods on Alibaba (a Chinese online shopping platform) and then arrange air shipping to United Arab Emirates. Since we're an experienced international freight forwarder, we didn't just provide logistics services but also helped with other tasks. Whether it was contacting suppliers or handling various other details, we took care of it all without charging extra, just our logistics service fee. This allowed Mansour to focus on his core business.

I started by finding suppliers on Alibaba International and arranged the first shipment from Qingdao. Mansour was very satisfied with our service, and this being his first time importing from China, everything went smoothly. He realized that all he needed was to find suppliers in China, and we'd handle the rest. As he gained confidence, he began asking me to help him buy bed linens from Taobao (another Chinese online shopping platform), with delivery to our office. I would then pack and prepare the export documents before shipping them to United Arab Emirates.

Since Mansour couldn't communicate directly with the Taobao sellers due to the language barrier, I took on the role of buyer and translator. I handled all the details like material, size, stock, and delivery time. When the goods arrived, I checked them, repacked them, and prepared for export. Sometimes, it took almost a whole day just to pack everything—sometimes over 1,000 kg of goods! It was hard work, but Mansour's business was thriving.

Mansour eventually expanded his product range, including LED lights, stickers, and store fixtures. He planned to open a store in United Arab Emirates. He quickly turned his purchases into beautifully packaged products with his logo, selling them as souvenirs to tourists. The business did well, and all the products were sourced from Taobao and shipped by us.

Mansour was so impressed that he made a trip to China to meet me. I picked him up at the Luohu border, arranged a hotel near our office, and gave him a tour. He was amazed to see that we owned an entire floor of an 1,800-square-meter office building with nearly 100 employees, all in uniform and under standardized management. He knew we were a large logistics company, but he didn't expect us to be this big.

During his visit, Mansour provided the logos and sizes for the store fixtures he needed. I sent those details to the Taobao sellers and also took him around Shenzhen to buy various items from the craft markets. After nearly a week, everything was settled, and we shipped a full container by sea to United Arab Emirates. Mansour successfully opened his first store and was thrilled, even sending me photos of the grand opening. It was like seeing something you've worked hard on come to life.

Over time, Mansour maintained a steady shipment flow, sending about 400-500 bed linen sets each month. However, as competition grew, his business started to decline, and he eventually had to sell the store. After a break, Mansour decided to open a flower shop. With his previous experience, he was much more thorough in planning this time.

Mansour found flower suppliers in Yunnan, China, as well as in Africa and Amsterdam. United Arab Emirates is a popular destination for weddings, so he saw an opportunity to cater to this market. Once again, he started a new venture, registering a brand for his floral designs and packaging, and purchasing all the necessary store materials. Mansour returned to China, and I helped him with all the purchases, packing, and shipping to United Arab Emirates. The flower shop opened successfully, combining a physical store with an online presence, and business took off.

Mansour and I have become close friends over the years, trusting each other completely. Every time he opens a new store, I'm there to help with all the details, far beyond just doing business. Mansour has visited our office several times and is always grateful for our support, especially during his toughest times.

Mansour has invited me to visit United Arab Emirates many times, promising to take care of everything for me. I've always been busy with work, but now that I'm married, Mansour has invited me to spend my honeymoon there. One day, I'm sure I'll make the trip.

Thanks to our successful partnership with Mansour, we've expanded our air and sea routes to United Arab Emirates. More and more customers from there are reaching out to work with us. I'm confident that one day, Sunny Worldwide Logistics will become a well-known name in United Arab Emirates, with every shop there choosing us to ship their goods from China—reliable and trusted by all.