Saudi Arabia Surges Past UAE as Kenya's Top Fuel Supplier

Saudi Arabia has overtaken the UAE as Kenya's largest source of petroleum imports after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026. The strait, which normally carries a fifth of global oil, was shut by Iran following a war between the two countries that began on February 28.

Saudi Arabia's ability to bypass the strait entirely using overland pipelines gave it a decisive edge over its Gulf rival. Kenya imported Sh99.78 billion worth of goods from Saudi Arabia between March and May, more than double the Sh42.10 billion shipped from the UAE over the same period.

A year earlier, the UAE had led with Sh96.1 billion against Saudi Arabia's Sh11.17 billion, marking a Saudi surge of 793.4 percent. Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said Kenya's government-to-government agreement, signed with Saudi Aramco, ADNOC and ENOC in March 2023 on 180-day credit terms, places no restriction on where the three companies source their petroleum products, provided they meet Kenyan standards.