Gold smuggled from Africa totaling 591 tons to the Emirates…

Dubai (Caasimada Online) – The United Arab Emirates remains the main hub for the smuggling of gold from Africa and from countries experiencing conflict, despite the government of that country claiming to have tightened regulations to verify the origin of the gold, according to a new report.

The SwissAid organization based in Switzerland reported that at least 591 tons of illegally sourced gold were sent to the UAE in 2024, valued at 74 billion dollars based on the gold price on November 1, 2026.

The report described the illegally sourced gold as having been secretly removed from the country of origin, lacking a traceable supply chain or coming from countries affected by conflict and sanctions.

The UAE, now the second largest global gold trading hub after Switzerland, implemented new regulations in 2023 requiring gold refining industries to investigate the origin of the gold.

However, SwissAid stated that these regulations have not significantly changed the flow of illegally sourced gold to Dubai, and the data indicates a slight increase in gold smuggled from Africa.

“The results of this study are very concerning. They show that the United Arab Emirates remains a transit hub for smuggled gold and conflict gold,” said Marc Ummel, head of the natural resources section at SwissAid and one of the authors of the report.

SwissAid has conducted an investigation into 52 reports assessing how the UAE's industries have adhered to new regulations between 2023 and 2025. Only two received an evaluation indicating full compliance with the requirements.

Africa's Gold and Conflict Countries

According to the study, 453 tons of illegal gold sent to the UAE in 2024 were smuggled from African countries that produce gold. Approximately 413 tons entered the UAE directly, while 40 tons were routed through other neighboring countries from where they were sourced.

Additionally, there are 174.5 tons that SwissAid referred to as “conflict gold,” coming from Russia, Yemen, and Sudan. This figure included 108.9 tons of Russian gold, 6.6 tons from Yemen, and 59 tons sourced from Sudan, some of which were routed through Armenia and neighboring countries of Sudan.

Some of the gold from Sudan has previously been added to the total amount smuggled from Africa, which is why the final total has become 591 tons instead of being the direct sum of the two figures.

The report described the UAE as the largest destination for gold linked to armed conflicts in Africa and one of the main markets for gold exported from countries under international sanctions.

Sudan, which has been in conflict since April 2023, is a prime example of how gold has become an economic resource exploited by warring parties and private traders.

Middle East Eye has reported that the UAE is accused of providing support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are fighting against the Sudanese army. Abu Dhabi has denied these allegations, insisting that its role in Sudan is humanitarian.

According to Middle East Eye, the family of RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has been linked to gold mining in Darfur and the al-Junaid company. This company has been accused of profiting significantly from gold extracted from areas controlled by the RSF, which is then sent to Dubai.

The gold does not only come from the territory controlled by the RSF. Middle East Eye reported that gold mined from areas held by the Sudanese forces also crosses the borders into Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad, Libya, and South Sudan, before large quantities are officially exported to the UAE.

Suliman Baldo, a Sudanese expert specializing in gold trade, told Middle East Eye that 85 to 90 percent of Sudan's gold production is controlled by small-scale miners.

He stated that private traders buy gold from the miners and then secretly transfer it to the UAE. A trader operating in the River Nile region also told the media that gold is smuggled from both sides of the conflict, but the final destination is mostly the Dubai market.

Dubai has become the gold bridge

The location of Dubai, situated between Africa's mining areas and major markets in Asia, its tax-free zones and the system for verifying the quality of gold have made it a bridge connecting producing and consuming countries.

SwissAid has estimated that more than 2,500 tons of gold have been smuggled from Africa, valued at over 115 billion dollars, to the Emirates between 2012 and 2022.

In 2024, nearly 70 percent of the gold extracted from Africa will be sent to the Emirates, while more than half of the gold the country imports in 2024 and 2025 will come from the continent.

Data from trading countries with Sudan, Niger, the Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Libya, Togo, and Cameroon also showed that more than 95 percent of the gold recorded by importing countries entered the Emirates.

An Emirati official responding to an earlier report released by SwissAid stated that the government has taken significant steps to control gold smuggling and has established new regulations concerning gold and other precious metals.

SwissAid recommended that the investigation of the entire supply chain be made mandatory, penalties for companies violating regulations be strengthened, and the names of companies and those supplying the gold be disclosed. It also called for the Emirates customs to increase inspections.

The report stated that this issue is not limited to the Emirates. Switzerland, which is the world's largest gold trading hub, became the largest country purchasing gold from the Emirates in 2025, acquiring 420 tons, equivalent to 36 percent of the country's gold exports.

Between January and September 2026, Switzerland imported more than 400 tons of gold from the Emirates. SwissAid stated that this indicates the need for gold-importing countries to also verify the true origin of the gold.

The figures were confirmed by the official study from SwissAid; 413 tons entered the Emirates directly from Africa, while the total smuggled from Africa was 453 tons.