Pakistan’s exports to the Middle East fell 8 percent year-on-year in April, underscoring the impact of regional conflict on the country’s trade flows with one of its most important markets. Outbound shipments to the region dropped to $230.079 million during the month, with exports to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan all declining, according to central bank data. Exports to Saudi Arabia posted only marginal growth in April, signaling a sharp loss of momentum.

Pakistan’s exports to the Middle East fell 8 percent year-on-year in April, underscoring the impact of regional conflict on the country’s trade flows with one of its most important markets.

Outbound shipments to the region dropped to $230.079 million during the month, with exports to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan all declining, according to central bank data. Exports to Saudi Arabia posted only marginal growth in April, signaling a sharp loss of momentum.

Imports from the Middle East, however, rose 5 percent in April to $1.548 billion from $1.474 billion a year earlier, led by higher purchases from the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan. Imports from Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia declined during the month.

The diverging trend highlights Pakistan’s vulnerability to geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, particularly because of its dependence on the region for energy supplies. The UAE and Saudi Arabia together account for about 90 percent of Pakistan’s energy imports from the region, while Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain remain smaller contributors.

For the first 10 months of FY2025-26, Pakistan’s exports to the Middle East fell 2 percent to $2.635 billion, compared with $2.676 billion in the same period a year earlier. Imports from the region declined 3 percent to $13.898 billion from $14.370 billion, narrowing the trade deficit by 4 percent to $11.263 billion in July-April from $11.694 billion a year earlier.

Trade with Saudi Arabia remained mixed. Exports to the kingdom fell 4 percent in the first 10 months of the fiscal year to $583.94 million, down from $607.21 million a year earlier, although April exports showed a slight increase. Imports from Saudi Arabia rose 4 percent in 10MFY26 to $3.316 billion, but slipped 2 percent in April from a year earlier.

Trade with the UAE also showed uneven momentum. Exports edged up 0.35 percent in 10MFY26 to $1.786 billion from $1.780 billion, though April shipments fell 7 percent year-on-year. Imports from the UAE increased 5 percent in the July-April period to $6.944 billion, while April imports surged 30 percent from a year earlier.

Among smaller regional partners, April exports fell 39 percent to Bahrain, 21 percent to Qatar, 36 percent to Kuwait and 26 percent to Jordan. On the import side, purchases from Bahrain plunged 73 percent and from Qatar 97 percent, while imports from Kuwait and Jordan increased.

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