Pakistan’s exports to the Middle East recorded a sharp year-on-year decline of eight percent in April, reflecting the growing impact of regional conflict on trade flows with one of the country’s most strategically important markets.
According to data released by the central bank, outbound shipments to the Middle East fell to $230.079 million during the month.
Exports to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan all declined, while shipments to Saudi Arabia posted only marginal growth, signalling a broader loss of export momentum.
The import picture, however, moved in the opposite direction. Pakistan’s imports from the Middle East rose five percent in April to $1.548 billion, compared with $1.474 billion in the same month last year.
Higher inflows from the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan drove the increase, while imports from Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia edged lower.
This divergence underscores Pakistan’s structural vulnerability to geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East.
The region plays a critical role in Pakistan’s trade and energy security, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounting for nearly ninety percent of the country’s energy imports from the Middle East. Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain remain smaller but strategically important suppliers.
Looking at the broader fiscal picture, exports to the Middle East during the first ten months of FY2025-26 declined two percent to $2.635 billion, down from $2.676 billion in the same period last year.
Imports from the region also fell three percent to $13.898 billion from $14.370 billion, helping narrow Pakistan’s trade deficit with the Middle East by four percent to $11.263 billion in the July-April period.
Trade with Saudi Arabia showed mixed signals. Exports to the kingdom fell four percent during the first ten months of the fiscal year to $583.94 million, although April shipments registered a modest increase.
Imports from Saudi Arabia rose four percent over the ten-month period to $3.316 billion, even as April imports slipped two percent year-on-year.
Trade with the UAE also reflected uneven momentum. Exports to the Emirates edged up slightly by 0.35 percent during the July-April period to $1.786 billion, but April shipments dropped seven percent compared with last year.
Imports from the UAE increased five percent in the first ten months of the fiscal year, while April imports surged thirty percent, highlighting Pakistan’s continued reliance on Emirati supplies.
Among smaller Middle Eastern partners, the slowdown was more pronounced. April exports plunged thirty-nine percent to Bahrain, twenty-one percent to Qatar, thirty-six percent to Kuwait and twenty-six percent to Jordan.
On the import side, purchases from Bahrain dropped sharply by seventy-three percent and from Qatar by ninety-seven percent, while imports from Kuwait and Jordan increased.
Economists note that the latest figures illustrate how sensitive Pakistan’s trade remains to instability in the Middle East. With exports weakening and energy-driven imports remaining high, analysts warn that sustained regional tensions could continue to pressure Pakistan’s external accounts in the months ahead.
