NAIROBI, Kenya — The United Arab Emirates emerged as one of the biggest destinations for Kenyan gold in 2025, importing approximately 1.3 tonnes of gold valued at about Sh8.9 billion.
Kenya exported an estimated 1.7 tonnes of gold worth about Sh14 billion during the year, meaning the UAE accounted for a substantial share of the country’s total gold exports.
The figures underline the growing importance of the UAE as a market for Kenyan gold and highlight the country’s position within the wider global precious-metals trade.
Gold remains an important source of export earnings for Kenya, with production largely involving artisanal and small-scale miners. The sector supports thousands of livelihoods, particularly in gold-producing counties in western Kenya.
The concentration of exports in the UAE also reflects the Gulf state’s position as a major international trading and refining hub for precious metals.
For Kenya, the growing gold trade presents an opportunity to increase foreign-exchange earnings while improving value addition and traceability within the mining sector. Strengthening formal trading channels could also help ensure that a greater share of the value generated from gold reaches local miners and businesses.
With the UAE absorbing the majority of Kenya’s gold exports by volume in 2025, the Gulf market is becoming an increasingly important part of Kenya’s precious-metals trade.
