Sudan Gold Exports Shift After UAE Rift

Sudan’s break with the UAE hits its biggest gold market

Sudan has sharply reduced official gold shipments to the United Arab Emirates after severing diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi, making the move one of the clearest trade consequences of the country’s civil war and wider geopolitical split. Bloomberg previously reported that Sudan’s military-backed government officially shipped $1.97 billion of gold to the UAE in 2024, but after the public rupture with Abu Dhabi in 2025, authorities began seeking alternative export channels.

The UAE had become the dominant destination for Sudanese gold

Before the rupture, the UAE played an outsized role in Sudan’s gold trade. According to the African Gold Report, the UAE was the main destination for both declared exports and a significant share of undeclared or informal Sudanese gold flows. SWISSAID estimated that of about 200 tonnes of Sudanese gold imported by partner countries between 2012 and 2023 but not fully reflected in Sudan’s own trade records, around 182 tonnes were imported by the UAE. That makes the current slump more than a bilateral dispute: it is a major restructuring of Sudan’s gold-trade architecture.

Official shipments to the UAE appear to have nearly collapsed

Independent trade estimates suggest that after trade links were effectively suspended in the second half of 2025, Sudan’s formal gold exports to the UAE almost dried up. A March 2026 ATAR study said Sudan’s exports to the UAE between September and December 2025 fell to just $10.11 million, compared with annual totals in the hundreds of millions before that. While that is not an official government release, it aligns with Bloomberg’s reporting that exports slumped sharply after the diplomatic breakdown.

Khartoum blames Abu Dhabi for backing the RSF

The political cause of the break was Sudan’s accusation that the UAE supports the Rapid Support Forces. Bloomberg reported in May 2025 that Sudan’s military-backed government formally cut ties with the UAE over what it called “ongoing aggression.” EFE and Africanews also reported that Khartoum declared the UAE an “aggressor state,” recalled diplomats and ordered the closure of its missions there. The UAE denied the accusations.

Sudan is looking for new gold buyers across the region

After losing its main outlet, Port Sudan moved quickly to seek alternative markets. Bloomberg reported in January 2026 that Saudi Arabia appears to be one of the most likely new hubs for official Sudanese gold flows. Chatham House said Sudan’s army-backed authorities have also tried to route gold through Egypt while exploring additional export and refining options outside the UAE. Public reporting on the market has also pointed to Qatar, Oman and Bahrain as possible alternative destinations, though those channels are not equally institutionalized yet.

Egypt may replace direct shipments with a transit route

Even if official direct exports to the UAE have slumped, that does not necessarily mean the Emirati market has disappeared from Sudan’s gold economy. Chatham House notes that some gold from army-controlled parts of Sudan moves through Egypt and can then be re-exported onward, including to Gulf destinations. The ATAR study also points to a sharp rise in Egyptian exports of gold and related precious-metals categories to the UAE in 2025 as regional routes were reconfigured. That suggests the decline in direct official shipments may be accompanied by an increase in indirect flows through neighboring countries.

Gold remains one of Sudan’s most important sources of hard currency

For Sudan, the trade shift is especially sensitive because gold remains one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange in wartime. AFP reporting cited by Al-Monitor and others said Sudan’s gold production reached 64 tonnes in 2024, up from 41.8 tonnes in 2022, while legal exports brought in about $1.57 billion. Bloomberg’s estimate for official shipments to the UAE alone in 2024 was even higher at $1.97 billion, underscoring how central the commodity is to state revenues and external financing.

Falling direct exports do not solve the smuggling problem

A drop in direct shipments to the UAE does not automatically mean greater transparency. The African Gold Report and other researchers have long argued that a large share of Sudanese gold moves outside full official reporting. Chatham House likewise warned that the high profitability of the trade and Egypt’s removal of import duties on gold create incentives for faster cross-border informal flows. In that sense, the diplomatic rupture may simply reroute trade rather than resolve the underlying problem of leakage and weak supply-chain oversight.

Sudan’s gold trade is becoming part of a wider regional contest

The redirection of gold routes is unfolding against a broader rivalry across the Middle East and Red Sea region. Bloomberg’s January report tied the battle over Sudanese gold not only to the civil war itself but also to friction between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. For Sudan, that means gold exports are no longer merely an economic issue. They are becoming a tool of foreign-policy alignment, alliance-building and regional currency-flow management.

As International Investment experts report, the sharp drop in Sudan’s official gold exports to the UAE shows how quickly wartime trade routes can be redrawn when political confrontation collides with dependence on a single market. For investors and observers, the key issue now is not just how much gold Sudan can officially sell to new buyers, but how much of the trade will migrate into opaque transit channels through Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other regional hubs.

FAQ

Why did Sudan’s gold exports to the UAE fall?

Because Sudan severed diplomatic relations with the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF, and formal trade channels narrowed sharply afterward.

How important was the UAE to Sudan’s gold trade before the split?

It was critical. Bloomberg reported $1.97 billion in official gold shipments to the UAE in 2024, while research suggests the UAE was the main market for both formal and part of the informal trade.

Where can Sudan redirect its gold exports now?

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain are among the destinations most often cited as alternatives, though they differ in how formalized those routes are.

Does lower direct trade with the UAE mean the Emirati market is gone?

Not necessarily. Some flows may move indirectly through Egypt and other countries before being re-exported onward, including to the Gulf.

Why is gold so important to Sudan’s economy?

Because amid war, gold remains one of Sudan’s main sources of foreign exchange and state revenue. In 2024, legal exports brought in about $1.57 billion and production reached 64 tonnes.