Meridian Harbour Logistics Ltd.
Entity · Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
Due Diligence Report · Level B · CR-2026-0001
Contents
A map of the file: what was examined, what was found, and the terms on which it was prepared.
Executive Brief
The synthesis: what the record shows, how confident we are in it, and the findings that bear most directly on the decision at hand.
Executive Summary
A plain reading of the file, prepared for a reader who will act on it.
Meridian Harbour Logistics Ltd. is a freight-forwarding operator incorporated in Limassol in 2014, trading principally through a Jebel Ali branch. The company is solvent on the filed accounts and shows no sanctions, terrorism-financing or export-control listings against it or its named officers. Two matters warrant counsel's attention before signing. First, a 2024 customs penalty in the UAE, settled without admission, arising from mis-declared transhipment cargo. Second, an ownership chain in which 74% of the shares are held by a Cyprus holding vehicle whose ultimate beneficial owner is not disclosed in any registry we can reach; the registered shareholder is a licensed nominee. Adverse media is limited to trade-press coverage of the customs matter. Nothing found suggests the subject should be avoided, but the beneficial-ownership question should be answered by warranty or by direct inquiry before funds move.
| Matter | Subject | Level | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR-2026-0001 | Meridian Harbour Logistics Ltd. | Level B | ELEVATED | MEDIUM |
Key Findings
No sanctions, export-control or watchlist matches for the entity or its named officers across the lists checked.
74% shareholding held through Alcyone Holdings (Cyprus) Ltd.; ultimate beneficial owner not disclosed in any accessible registry.
AED 1.1m customs penalty settled in September 2024 without admission of liability.
Accounts filed on time for each of the last five years; auditor unchanged since 2019.
Subject Profile
Who the subject is on the record, and the ownership structure standing behind them.
Subject Profile
Registry-verified identity, standing, and activity, separated from anything the record could not confirm.
Incorporated 14 March 2014 in Limassol, Cyprus (HE 331402). Registered office at 12 Themistokli Dervi, Nicosia. Filed 2024 accounts show turnover of EUR 41.2m and net assets of EUR 6.8m, both increasing year on year. Three directors of record: A. Petrou (Cyprus), R. Haddad (Lebanon/UAE) and a corporate director, Alcyone Nominees Ltd. Approximately 140 staff across Limassol, Dubai and Felixstowe.
Ownership & Group Structure
Risk & Compliance
The scored risk profile, every finding of record with its evidentiary status, and the areas that came back clean.
Risk Dashboard
Composite exposure and its four constituent dimensions, each rated independently against the findings of record.
Two corroborated regulatory matters in the last thirty months and an ownership chain that terminates in a nominee-held Cyprus holding company. No sanctions exposure identified. The rating reflects unresolved ownership rather than proven misconduct. Meridian Harbour Logistics Ltd. is a freight-forwarding operator incorporated in Limassol in 2014, trading principally through a Jebel Ali branch. The company is solvent on the filed accounts and shows no sanctions, terrorism-financing or export-control listings against it or its named officers. Two matters warrant counsel's attention before signing. First, a 2024 customs penalty in the UAE, settled without admission, arising from mis-declared transhipment cargo. Second, an ownership chain in which 74% of the shares are held by a Cyprus holding vehicle whose ultimate beneficial owner is not disclosed in any registry we can reach; the registered shareholder is a licensed nominee. Adverse media is limited to trade-press coverage of the customs matter. Nothing found suggests the subject should be avoided, but the beneficial-ownership question should be answered by warranty or by direct inquiry before funds move.
One settled customs penalty and two closed commercial disputes. No criminal proceedings, insolvency events or judgments outstanding on the registers checked.
Adverse coverage is confined to trade press reporting the 2024 customs matter. No pattern of allegations, no investigative journalism, no consumer complaints of substance.
No politically exposed person identified among directors or disclosed shareholders. No state ownership. No public procurement dependency identified.
Beneficial ownership is undisclosed behind a nominee structure, and the UAE branch handles transhipment through jurisdictions with elevated diversion risk.
Findings of Record
Each finding carries its source tier, its confidence label and its sources. Allegations are never presented as facts.
No match for the entity, its three directors or its disclosed shareholders against OFAC SDN, UK OFSI, EU consolidated, UN consolidated or the relevant export-control denied-party lists.
- OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list (search) — https://sanctionslist.example.gov/sdn (accessed 2026-02-13)
- UK OFSI consolidated list (search) — https://ofsi.example.gov.uk/consolidated (accessed 2026-02-13)
UAE Federal Customs Authority imposed an AED 1.1m penalty in September 2024 concerning mis-declared transhipment cargo routed via Jebel Ali. Settled in full; the file records no admission of liability and no debarment.
- Gulf Freight Review — 'Limassol forwarder settles Jebel Ali declaration case' — https://gulffreightreview.example.com/2024/meridian-settlement (accessed 2026-02-13)
- UAE customs penalty register extract — https://customs.example.ae/penalties/2024-4471 (accessed 2026-02-13)
Alcyone Holdings (Cyprus) Ltd. holds 74% of the issued share capital. The registered shareholder of Alcyone is a licensed nominee service. The Cyprus UBO register returns no accessible entry for the ultimate owner.
- Cyprus Registrar of Companies — HE 331402 shareholder extract — https://efiling.example.gov.cy/HE331402 (accessed 2026-02-12)
Two commercial claims in the English courts (2019, 2022), both freight-damage disputes, both settled or discontinued. No insolvency events, winding-up petitions or charges in default.
- England and Wales court records (search) — https://courts.example.uk/search (accessed 2026-02-13)
A trade-press item alleges that the 2024 customs matter followed an internal whistleblower complaint. The claim is single-sourced and denied by the company; it is recorded here as an allegation, not a finding of fact.
- Freight Weekly — 'Sources claim internal complaint preceded penalty' — https://freightweekly.example.com/2024/meridian-complaint (accessed 2026-02-13)
Searched Without Result
Absence of findings is itself a finding. These areas were searched and produced nothing of record.
| Scope area | Sources checked | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sanctions And Watchlists | OFAC SDN, UK OFSI, EU consolidated, UN consolidated | No match |
| Insolvency | Cyprus Registrar, UK Companies House, London Gazette | No match |
| Political Exposure | PEP screening, Public office registers | No match |
Red Flags
- Ultimate beneficial ownership undisclosed behind a nominee structure in Cyprus.
- Transhipment activity through jurisdictions carrying elevated diversion risk.
Annex
The terms on which this file was prepared: what was not searched, what should be, and the sources relied upon.
Limitations & Sources
Open-source research has boundaries. They are stated here rather than buried.
Limitations
- The Cyprus UBO register is not publicly accessible in full; beneficial ownership could not be resolved from open sources.
- No interviews were conducted for this level of report; findings rest on documentary and open-source material.
- Registry data reflects the position on the dates accessed and may lag actual events.
Recommended further inquiry
- Obtain a signed beneficial-ownership declaration, or a warranty, covering Alcyone Holdings.
- Request the settlement agreement and closure letter for the 2024 customs matter.
- Confirm current insurance and bonding for the Jebel Ali branch.
Endnotes
- 1. Cyprus Registrar of Companies, entity extract HE 331402, accessed 12 February 2026.
- 2. UAE customs penalty register, reference 2024-4471, accessed 13 February 2026.
- 3. Gulf Freight Review, 'Limassol forwarder settles Jebel Ali declaration case', 20 September 2024.
- 4. Freight Weekly, 'Sources claim internal complaint preceded penalty', 2 October 2024.
Disclaimer & Distribution
Basis of preparation
This report was prepared from open sources and public records available at the date of issue. It is not legal advice, an investment recommendation, or a consumer report, and it may not be used for any decision governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
No verification of primary documents; figures indicative
Documents were not inspected in original form unless expressly stated. Financial figures are indicative and drawn from the cited sources.
Confidentiality & distribution control
This report is supplied for the internal use of the instructing client only. It may not be circulated, quoted, or relied upon by any third party without written consent.