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Trade between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

In 2024, Kuwait exported $913 million to Saudi Arabia and imported $2 billion. Kuwait ran a deficit of $1.1 billion with Saudi Arabia, compared with a deficit of $1.3 billion in 2019. Saudi Arabia was Kuwait’s 10th largest trading partner (3% of its trade), and Kuwait was Saudi Arabia’s 33rd (0.6%).

Summary

Kuwait → Saudi Arabia
$913million
Saudi Arabia → Kuwait
$2billion
Kuwait’s balance
-$1.1billion

Balance

Kuwait’s trade balance with Saudi Arabia

Trade between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia grew 5.5-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 0.9
  • Imports 2
  • Balance -1.1

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$69 million$465 million-$395 million
1996$91 million$454 million-$363 million
1997$0$0$0
1998$84 million$504 million-$419 million
1999$100 million$0$100 million
2000$140 million$558 million-$418 million
2001$135 million$517 million-$382 million
2002$162 million$630 million-$469 million
2003$171 million$876 million-$705 million
2004$245 million$1.2 billion-$952 million
2005$211 million$1.1 billion-$915 million
2006$428 million$1.4 billion-$948 million
2007$377 million$1.6 billion-$1.2 billion
2008$501 million$1.7 billion-$1.2 billion
2009$523 million$1.3 billion-$749 million
2010$610 million$1.5 billion-$879 million
2011$800 million$1.7 billion-$936 million
2012$401 million$1.6 billion-$1.2 billion
2013$879 million$1.6 billion-$733 million
2014$885 million$1.7 billion-$785 million
2015$926 million$1.6 billion-$693 million
2016$818 million$1.7 billion-$930 million
2017$700 million$2 billion-$1.3 billion
2018$595 million$2.3 billion-$1.7 billion
2019$798 million$2.1 billion-$1.3 billion
2020$734 million$1.7 billion-$984 million
2021$814 million$1.8 billion-$1 billion
2022$1.1 billion$2 billion-$919 million
2023$673 million$2.3 billion-$1.6 billion
2024$913 million$2 billion-$1.1 billion

What they sell each other

What Kuwait sells to Saudi Arabia

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

  1. Cars$275 million · 30.1%
    20 thousand tonnes · Saudi Arabia’s sources
  2. Refined petroleum$67 million · 7.3%
    130 thousand tonnes · Kuwait’s destinations
  3. Antiques$44 million · 4.8%
    2 tonnes
  4. Uncoated paper$28 million · 3.1%
    69 thousand tonnes
  5. Fruit and vegetable juices$25 million · 2.8%
    29 thousand tonnes
  6. Wheat flour$25 million · 2.8%
    44 thousand tonnes
  7. Prepared meat$24 million · 2.6%
    7 thousand tonnes
  8. Trucks$24 million · 2.6%
    3 thousand tonnes · Saudi Arabia’s sources
  9. Fiberglass and glass wool$23 million · 2.5%
    11 thousand tonnes
  10. Prefabricated buildings$17 million · 1.9%
    18 thousand tonnes

What Saudi Arabia sells to Kuwait

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

  1. Detergents and surfactants$184 million · 9.1%
    85 thousand tonnes
  2. Yogurt and fermented milk$90 million · 4.4%
    58 thousand tonnes
  3. Poultry meat$81 million · 4%
    20 thousand tonnes
  4. Cheese$76 million · 3.8%
    13 thousand tonnes
  5. Bread, biscuits and pastries$75 million · 3.7%
    20 thousand tonnes
  6. Steel wire rod$59 million · 2.9%
    101 thousand tonnes
  7. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$58 million · 2.9%
    2 thousand tonnes · Kuwait’s sources
  8. Toilet paper and tissues$54 million · 2.7%
    12 thousand tonnes
  9. Powdered and condensed milk$54 million · 2.7%
    34 thousand tonnes
  10. Fresh milk and cream$37 million · 1.8%
    31 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shuaiba to Jeddah.

The estimated sea route between Shuaiba and Jeddah is 2,686 nautical miles (4,974 km) long: ≈ 6–8 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

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$658 million · 22.4%
  2. Land$2.3 billion · 77.6%

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

How much each matters to the other

Saudi Arabia was Kuwait’s 10th largest trading partner (3% of its trade), and Kuwait was Saudi Arabia’s 33rd (0.6%).

Saudi Arabia in Kuwait’s trade
2.8%
Saudi Arabia’s rank among Kuwait’s partners
10th
Kuwait in Saudi Arabia’s trade
0.6%
Kuwait’s rank among Saudi Arabia’s partners
33rd

Compare with

Other partners of Kuwait

Other partners of Saudi Arabia

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.