Sudanese gold exports to the United Arab Emirates plummeted from 22.2 tons in 2024 to just 8.2 tons in 2025 after Khartoum severed diplomatic ties with the Gulf state. The collapse ended a trade relationship where the UAE had been Sudan's biggest trading partner before civil war erupted in April 2023. UAE's share of Sudan's total gold shipments fell dramatically from 99% to 56%.

The redirection of Sudan's gold exports reshaped regional markets, with Egypt emerging as the primary beneficiary. Cairo received 4.9 tons worth $517 million in 2025, a twenty-fold increase from the previous year. Oman doubled its imports to 0.7 tons valued at $77 million, while Qatar and Ethiopia also received significant amounts of Sudanese gold for the first time.

Despite the drop in volume, Sudan's total gold export income remained similar to previous years due to higher prices. The figures reflect the frayed relations between Sudan's military government and the UAE, which Khartoum accuses of backing the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. The diplomatic rupture has forced Sudan to develop alternative markets for its most valuable export amid the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis.