Kenya’s trade with Middle Eastern countries is now in limbo as conflict which begun on Saturday in the region intensifies.
The Saturday attack on Iran by the United States and Israel which led to the killing of Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khomeini has now expanded to other countries in the region due to Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
The conflict which has entered the third day has seen disruptions in both cargo and passenger flights from key middle eastern hubs such as Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
In a Monday morning statement, President William Ruto condemned retaliatory attacks by Iran which has so far struck key facilities in the United Arab Emirates Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.
“It is evident that the regionalisation of this conflict poses a grave threat to international peace and security. At this defining and perilous moment in global history, longstanding multilateral institutions remain indispensable frameworks for the resolution of the current crisis in the Middle East. Kenya calls for urgent multi-stakeholder engagement towards de-escalation,” posted President Ruto via his official X account.
By late Saturday, many airlines which operate flights to and from Mideast had already issued travel advisories including Kenya Airways.
KQ announced temporary suspension of flights to UAE due to the ongoing conflict until further notice while airlines such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad have also issued similar advisories urging travelers to
With flights suspended, Kenya is now anticipating trade disruptions which are likely to impact the country’s exports and imports from the region.
“The ongoing conflict in the Middle East will have a direct impact on Kenya’s export basket. We enjoy thriving trade with Middle East countries, where supplies of meat, vegetables, coffee, tea and flowers top the list” said Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Trade.
Kenya’s key exports markets to the region include Iran, UAE, Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
According to official statistics by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) exports to Middle East rose to Ksh 164.6 billion. This was driven by growth in exports to UAE on account of increased re-exports of kerosene type jet fuel to UAE.
On the other hand, imports from the region declined to Ksh 554.5 billion.
According to Kinyanjui Kenya is actively seeking to diversify its export market amid geopolitical uncertainties that will continue to plague the region.
“The Government of Kenya is consulting with critical stakeholders to ensure that our trade position is not adversely affected and that alternative routes can be established to serve our markets in the interim,” he stated.
