Our Structure: Dubai and Scotland
Al Shene Marine Holding manages the supply chain and logistics for Scottish seafood from catch or farm to final delivery. To do that across four regions, the group is organised as two companies, a small number of Scottish sites with clearly separated roles, and a set of operating divisions, one for each stage of the chain. This page explains that structure for buyers, freight forwarders, inspectors and partners who want to know which part of the business handles their order, where the goods are prepared and from where they leave. It describes functions and places only; for products and services in detail, follow the links in each section.
Two companies, one group
The group has a Gulf company and a Scottish company. Each has a defined place in the chain, and together they cover everything from raw material in Scotland to distribution in the buyer's market.
| Company | Based in | Role in the group |
|---|---|---|
| Al Shene Marine Holding LLC | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Global management and finance centre; operations, finance and distribution for the GCC: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait |
| Al Shene Marine Ltd. | Exchange Plaza, Edinburgh EH3 9SR, Scotland, UK | Management and governance of the Scottish business; raw material, processing, packing, quality control and dispatch through the Scottish sites |
The split follows the logic of the trade. Scottish seafood is sourced and prepared for export close to where it is landed or farmed, so the operating company sits in Scotland. Group management and finance, and the operations and distribution that serve Gulf buyers, are run from Dubai.
The Scottish sites
The Scottish company works from four locations. Each one has a single, well-defined job, which keeps responsibility clear when a consignment moves from one to the next.
- Exchange Plaza, Edinburgh is the management and governance office for Scotland.
- Aberdeen Ports & Docks is the field and operations base: cold chain handling, blast freezing and port operations on the North Sea coast.
- Leith, Edinburgh's harbour on the Firth of Forth, is an integrated facility for raw material, processing, packing, quality control and dispatch, with bulk cargo and reefer container loading.
- Grangemouth, further up the Forth, is the second integrated facility, with the same range of work and its own container operations.
The Scottish plant where processing and freezing take place is UK/EC approved.
Operating divisions along the chain
Within the group, work is organised along the stages of the chain rather than by product. A salmon fillet, a frozen crab and a seaweed extract pass through the same stages, and each stage is handled as a separate operating area.
| Division | What it covers | Where it works | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sourcing | Fish and shellfish from North Sea catch and Scottish farms | Scotland | Products |
| Processing and packing | Cutting, packing and quality control; fresh in iced EPS boxes, frozen IQF in vacuum packs and master cartons; private label | Leith, Grangemouth | How we work |
| Cold chain and storage | Blast freezing; cold stores at −25 °C for frozen and +2 °C for chilled goods | Scotland; blast freezing at Aberdeen Ports & Docks | Cold storage |
| Port operations | Bulk and reefer container loading for sea freight | Leith, Grangemouth, Aberdeen | Port operations |
| Road and air logistics | Refrigerated truck fleet across Europe; air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow | Scotland to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the USA | Air freight · Reefer trucking |
| Documentation and customs | Health certificates, certificates of origin, CITES where a species is listed, customs clearance follow-up | With every consignment | Quality |
| Management, finance and distribution | Group management and finance; operations and distribution for the GCC | Dubai | Markets |
Sourcing
The chain starts with raw material: fish and shellfish from North Sea catch and from Scottish farms. Everything that follows, from the cut to the carton, depends on what comes in at this stage, which is why the specification is confirmed with each offer rather than printed as a fixed list.
Processing and packing
In the Scottish plant, fish is cut to the specification in the offer, checked and packed. Chilled product goes into insulated EPS boxes on ice in 6, 10 or 20 kg cases. Frozen product is individually quick frozen, sealed in vacuum inner packs and boxed in master cartons. Retail chains can order under their own label.
Cold chain and storage
Freezing and storage are treated as a stage of their own because temperature decides quality. Blast freezing runs at Aberdeen Ports & Docks, and our cold stores keep frozen goods at −25 °C and chilled goods at +2 °C until dispatch.
Logistics: sea, road and air
There are three transport modes, and each order goes by the route that fits the product and the destination. For sea freight, frozen cargo is stuffed into reefer containers on the Forth, at Leith or Grangemouth, and a single container of roughly 12 to 26 tonnes is the smallest unit we ship. Frozen loads for European buyers travel in our refrigerated truck fleet. Chilled fish and live shellfish go by air instead: they leave the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a minimum of one pallet, around 500 kg to 1 tonne, and a temperature data logger on every air shipment.
Documentation, customs and quality
Export papers are prepared alongside the goods, not after them: health certificate, certificate of origin, CITES papers where a species is listed, and follow-up of customs clearance. The business operates under BRCGS Food Safety (Grade A), HACCP, ISO 22000 and Halal certification, with ISO 22000 covering the whole facility and all processed products. MSC and ASC apply only to the product groups they cover. A buyer who wants a pre-loading inspection can appoint an independent body such as SGS or send a representative of its own.
Management, finance and distribution
Group management and finance are run from Dubai, which is also the base for operations and distribution in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. The usual payment split is a 30% advance by T/T and the remaining 70% when the bill of lading copy is presented; big volumes may instead be covered by an irrevocable letter of credit at sight.
Product groups across the structure
These operating areas serve three product groups. Each has its own overview page on this site.
- Fish: salmon from Scotland in several cuts, from head-on gutted fish to fillets, portions and oak-smoked sides; sea and rainbow trout; mackerel and herring; haddock, cod, plaice and sole. See fish.
- Shellfish: langoustine, the two Scottish crabs (brown and velvet), European lobster, scallops, and mussels with oysters. See shellfish.
- Value-added: salmon and cod roe, seaweed and kelp with their extracts, octopus and squid, smoked and marinated deli lines, fish oil and fish protein. See value-added.
Markets served
One Scottish source supplies four regions through this structure: the Middle East (the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait), the European Union (France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany), Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore) and North America (the USA and Canada).
How an order moves through the group
- Your enquiry arrives by email at info@sultanrashid.com.
- A written offer is prepared and sent back with the current specification.
- After confirmation and the advance payment, the Scottish sites process, pack and store the goods at the right temperature.
- Documentation prepares the export papers, and any pre-shipment inspection takes place.
- Logistics dispatches by sea, road or air, and customs clearance is followed through to arrival.
Contacting the right team
All enquiries go to one address, info@sultanrashid.com, whatever the subject, and the right team answers. It helps to say in the subject line whether your question is about products, logistics, documents or payment. Contact is by email only; there is no phone line for orders.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Al Shene Marine Holding managed from?
The global management and finance centre is in Dubai, at Al Shene Marine Holding LLC. Scottish operations are managed from Exchange Plaza in Edinburgh.
What does the Scottish company do?
Al Shene Marine Ltd. runs raw material handling, processing, packing, quality control and dispatch through its Scottish sites.
Where is seafood processed and frozen?
Processing and packing take place at the integrated facilities in Leith and Grangemouth, and blast freezing runs at Aberdeen Ports & Docks.
Which ports and airports do shipments leave from?
Containers are loaded at Leith and Grangemouth; for air shipments of fresh fish and live shellfish, departure is the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
How do I reach the right team?
Email info@sultanrashid.com and name the subject in the subject line; the right team will answer.