Loading & Unloading Arms Suppliers, UAE

What are loading and unloading arms and which types do UAE terminals use?

A loading arm is a rigid pipe assembly with swivel joints that lets a terminal connect to a vessel or vehicle manifold without a hose lying on the ground or deck. It moves liquid or gas through a fixed route that can follow the vessel as it rises and falls. Loading arms are one of the four product groups under storage tanks and terminals in the UAE, and they sit where the storage side ends and the vessel or vehicle begins.

The type follows where the arm stands and what the receiver looks like.

Woodfield Systems, one of the makers, groups its marine range into manual operation, cryogenic, hydraulic operation and arms with an emergency release system, which is a good mental model for the way most enquiries are sorted.

Land loading in practice

On land the choice is mostly top or bottom. Top loading arms put a drop tube through the dome of a road tanker or rail car, either open or sealed with a vapour return line, and suit chemicals, bitumen and viscous products. Bottom loading arms connect to a coupling at the base of the tanker, which keeps staff off the roof and lets vapour be collected through a second connection; fuel depots in the UAE prefer them for gasoline and diesel. Both types are paired with grounding checks and an independent high level shutoff, which links back to the overfill thinking in API 2350 and to the instruments listed on crude oil storage tanks and LNG storage systems for refrigerated cargo.

How does a marine loading arm connect and disconnect safely?

A marine arm must stay connected while the ship moves with tide, cargo and mooring slack, and it must come off cleanly if the ship drifts out of its safe envelope. Operators connect with a hydraulic quick connect and disconnect coupler (QC/DC) at the vessel manifold, and keep a separate emergency release coupler that parts only when needed.

An Inspenet explainer sets out the OCIMF sequence for an arm with a powered emergency release coupling: the emergency shutdown (ESD) stops the transfer, the emergency release system starts, the isolation valves close, the powered coupler releases, and the arm disconnects. The valves must close before the coupler halves separate, and the distance between the valves and the separation plane decides how much product is left to spill. That ties arm design directly to the surge relief and shutdown logic of the terminal, so ask your supplier for the hydraulic circuit, the limit sensors and the closure time of the valves, not only the arm drawing.

Other items to specify on the arm are swivel joint materials and seals, nitrogen purging or drainage for chemical arms, insulation for cold duty, and the wind and wave loads your jetty produces. For a berth at Fujairah or Ruwais the weather envelope and vessel size range come from the marine study, and the arm is built to that.

Which standards and approvals apply to loading arms in the UAE?

As of 2026, the UAE has no product certificate for a loading arm as such. Terminals call up international guidance and add the owner's requirement, plus ECAS-Ex or equivalent for powered or electrical parts in hazardous areas.

OCIMF says its specification is meant to guide owners and vendors on designing and procuring marine arms, and it comes with tables the owner fills in to state what is needed. That makes it a good starting point for an enquiry. For the conformity scheme and its effect on instruments and actuators, see the ECAS and EQM guide.

How do UAE heat, salt and sand affect loading arms?

Marine arms live in the splash and salt-laden air of a jetty, so coatings, hydraulic hoses, seals and limit switches fail through corrosion before wear. Sun on a full arm raises liquid temperature and trapped pressure, so thermal relief is checked, and black painted pipe in July can reach temperatures that harm elastomer seals and some plastics. Sand and dust get into swivel joints and hydraulic connections.

• Use marine-grade coating systems and stainless steel for fasteners, instrument tubing and hydraulic fittings.
• Choose swivel seals suited to the product and to peak surface temperature, and plan seal inspection intervals.
• Fit covers or boots on exposed joints in yards with blowing sand, and flush after sandstorms.
• Check that hydraulic oil specification suits summer temperatures at the jetty and coastal humidity.

These are engineering practice points rather than UAE rules. Hoses are an alternative to arms at small berths; see rubber hoses and the loose hardware under tank farm equipment.

How do you choose a loading arm supplier in the UAE?

Buy marine arms from a manufacturer or its authorised UAE representative who can supply calculations, a drawing for approval, a factory acceptance test and commissioning support. Road and rail loaders for bulk plants are available through industrial distributors, and a UAE stockist may hold common models; ask for the current maker data sheet, since models and specifications change over time.

• Provide product, flow rate, pressure and temperature, vessel size range and manifold arrangement.
• State the operating envelope from the marine study: tidal range, ship freeboard range, surge and drift.
• Ask what spare couplers, seals and hydraulic parts are held in the UAE and how fast a technician can reach Fujairah or Jebel Ali.
• Confirm who supplies the ESD interface, the grounding check and the overfill interlock on road loading.
• Check pipeline valves and surge relief are matched to the arm closure time.

What affects the price and lead time of loading arms in the UAE?

Arms are engineered to order, so price follows size, pressure class, material and the safety features attached.

• Nominal size and reach: a larger marine arm with a wide envelope carries much more steel, counterbalance and drive.
• Materials: carbon steel for oil, stainless steel or duplex for chemicals, and special insulated designs for cold service.
• Emergency release, hydraulic controls and monitoring add equipment and commissioning time.
• Testing: a witnessed factory acceptance test and third-party inspection extend the schedule.
• Shipping and installation: marine arms are heavy lifts, and their installation depends on jetty readiness.

To get several UAE quotes, post your requirement with the datasheet and jetty drawing.

Sources

• OCIMF: Design and Construction Specification for Marine Loading Arms
• Inspenet: Marine terminals, marine loading arm ERS
• Woodfield Systems: marine loading arm with emergency release system