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Trade between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates

In 2024, Egypt exported $3.3 billion to the United Arab Emirates and imported $2.7 billion. Egypt ran a surplus of $568 million with the United Arab Emirates, compared with a surplus of $65 million in 2019. The United Arab Emirates was Egypt’s 6th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Egypt was the United Arab Emirates’ 19th (1%).

Summary

Egypt → United Arab Emirates
$3.3billion
United Arab Emirates → Egypt
$2.7billion
Egypt’s balance
$568million

Balance

Egypt’s trade balance with the United Arab Emirates

Trade between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates grew 106.7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Egypt’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 3.3
  • Imports 2.7
  • Balance +0.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$41 million$15 million$26 million
1996$44 million$24 million$20 million
1997$34 million$43 million-$9 million
1998$40 million$64 million-$23 million
1999$33 million$61 million-$28 million
2000$59 million$79 million-$20 million
2001$59 million$112 million-$52 million
2002$80 million$68 million$12 million
2003$120 million$86 million$34 million
2004$126 million$77 million$49 million
2005$307 million$359 million-$51 million
2006$304 million$132 million$172 million
2007$413 million$409 million$4 million
2008$618 million$997 million-$378 million
2009$581 million$437 million$144 million
2010$613 million$730 million-$117 million
2011$866 million$805 million$61 million
2012$760 million$1.1 billion-$357 million
2013$701 million$1.3 billion-$555 million
2014$858 million$2.1 billion-$1.2 billion
2015$1 billion$1.3 billion-$328 million
2016$2.3 billion$970 million$1.3 billion
2017$2.1 billion$1.6 billion$540 million
2018$2 billion$2.2 billion-$168 million
2019$2.4 billion$2.3 billion$65 million
2020$3.3 billion$2.1 billion$1.2 billion
2021$1.9 billion$3.8 billion-$1.9 billion
2022$2.2 billion$3.9 billion-$1.7 billion
2023$2.5 billion$3.2 billion-$699 million
2024$3.3 billion$2.7 billion$568 million

What they sell each other

What Egypt sells to the United Arab Emirates

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Gold$2.1 billion · 62.9%
    31 tonnes · Egypt’s destinations
  2. Monitors and projectors$201 million · 6.2%
    7 thousand tonnes
  3. Crude petroleum$81 million · 2.5%
    146 thousand tonnes
  4. Citrus fruit$77 million · 2.4%
    70 thousand tonnes
  5. Other knitted garments$47 million · 1.4%
  6. Frozen vegetables$30 million · 0.92%
    21 thousand tonnes
  7. Forage (alfalfa and hay)$28 million · 0.87%
    92 thousand tonnes
  8. Fragrance mixtures$25 million · 0.76%
    1 thousand tonnes
  9. Washing machines$24 million · 0.73%
    4 thousand tonnes
  10. Avocados, mangoes, pineapples and dates$23 million · 0.72%
    8 thousand tonnes

What the United Arab Emirates sells to Egypt

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Copper wire$601 million · 22.3%
    65 thousand tonnes
  2. Refined petroleum$386 million · 14.4%
    404 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  3. Polyethylene$231 million · 8.6%
    177 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  4. Polypropylene$188 million · 7%
    127 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  5. Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab)$100 million · 3.7%
    13 thousand tonnes
  6. Gold$100 million · 3.7%
    2 tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  7. Writing and printing paper$98 million · 3.7%
    84 thousand tonnes
  8. Copper bars and profiles$91 million · 3.4%
    8 thousand tonnes
  9. Natural gas and LPG$86 million · 3.2%
    121 thousand tonnes
  10. Uninsulated copper cable$58 million · 2.1%
    5 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Alexandria to Jebel Ali.

The estimated sea route between Alexandria and Jebel Ali is 12,138 nautical miles (22,480 km) long: ≈ 28–36 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Gibraltar, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Hormuz (12,138 nautical miles); and 15% via the Suez Canal, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz (3,151 nautical miles).

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$3.7 billion · 62%
  2. Air$2.3 billion · 38%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United Arab Emirates was Egypt’s 6th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Egypt was the United Arab Emirates’ 19th (1%).

The United Arab Emirates in Egypt’s trade
3.9%
The United Arab Emirates’ rank among Egypt’s partners
6th
Egypt in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
1%
Egypt’s rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
19th

Compare with

Other partners of Egypt

Other partners of the United Arab Emirates

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.