• The UAE imported 748 tons of gold from African countries in 2024, up 18% year-on-year.

• Togo, Uganda, and Rwanda topped exports to Dubai despite limited domestic production.

• SWISSAID links part of Sudan’s exports to networks tied to armed groups.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) imported 748 tons of gold from African countries in 2024, an 18% increase from the previous year. Africa accounted for more than half of the UAE’s total gold imports, which reached 1,392 tons, according to the Swiss NGO SWISSAID. The organization released the data on November 4, citing figures that briefly appeared on the UN Comtrade platform.

Among the main exporters to Dubai, the UAE’s key gold trading hub, were Togo (52 tons), Uganda (31 tons), and Rwanda (19 tons). However, none of these countries have industrial mines or sufficient artisanal output to justify such export volumes. SWISSAID noted that they serve mainly as transit hubs for smuggled gold originating from other producing nations.

Both Rwanda and Uganda host several refineries that source gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to multiple reports. Togo, which has almost no gold production of its own, benefits from its proximity to West African producers such as Burkina Faso and Ghana.

Another notable case is Sudan, which has been in civil war since 2023. The UAE imported 29 tons of gold from the country in 2024, with the origin of some shipments considered questionable. In October 2025, The Sentry linked part of Sudan’s gold exports to a network of companies connected to businessmen associated with the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group opposing the national army.

Marc Ummel, head of commodities research at SWISSAID, said that given such figures, the UAE could once again appear on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.  He also stressed that the country’s legislation on responsible gold sourcing still has gaps.

While the UAE’s central role in trading smuggled African gold is well documented, African countries have yet to find an effective solution to curb the phenomenon. The involvement of the UAE’s clients—particularly Switzerland, which imported 316 tons of gold from Dubai in 2024—could prove crucial in addressing the issue through coordinated international action.