Crude oil exports from the UAE have been falling this year, with the first quarter showing a decline. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “after a slight decline in 2024, when global crude oil loadings decreased by -0.2% y-o-y, things picked up in 2025, with full-year volumes increasing by +1.9% y-o-y. In Jan-Mar 2026, global crude oil loadings decreased by -0.4% y-o-y to 528.9 mln tonnes, excluding all cabotage trade, according to vessels tracking data from LSEG. Exports from the Arabian Gulf were down by -13.9% y-o-y to 183.6 mln t in Jan-Mar 2026, accounting for 34.7% of global seaborne crude trade, reflecting the disruption from the ongoing war in the Persian Gulf. Exports from Russian ports (including oil of Kazakh origin shipped via the CPC terminal) decreased by -1.2% yo-y to 55.4 mln t in Jan-Mar 2026, or 10.5% of global trade. From South America, exports surged by +28.5% y-o-y to 67.6 mln t. From the USA, exports went down by – 2.2% y-o-y at 45.4 mln tonnes in JanMar 2026. From West Africa, exports decreased by -7.2% y-o-y to 40.0 mln t. From ASEAN exports jumped by +32.7% y-o-y to 30.4 mln t in JanMar 2026 (this inevitably includes trans-shipped cargoes)”.
According to Banchero Costa, “in terms of demand (measured by arrival at discharge ports), global seaborne crude imports totalled 545.0 mln t in Jan-Mar 2026, up +4.2% y-o-y. The top seaborne importer of crude oil in Jan-Mar 2026 was Mainland China, accounting for 24.1% of global trade. Volumes into China increased by +12.0% y-o-y to 131.2 mln t in JanMar 2026, from 117.1 mln t in JanMar 2025. Imports into the EU27 increased by +1.2% y-o-y to 112.6 mln t, accounting for 20.7% of global trade. To ASEAN, imports decreased by -3.8% y-o-y to 63.8 mln t. To South Korea, imports declined by – 6.8% y-o-y to 30.7 mln t. Imports into the USA increased by +28.6% yo-y to 33.3 mln t in Jan-Mar 2026. To Japan, imports declined by -11.9% yo-y to 25.5 mln t”.
The shipbroker noted that “the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the third largest exporter of crude oil in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It accounts for 6.8% of global seaborne crude oil exports. Total crude oil loadings from the UAE in the 12 months of 2025 increased by +2.8% y-o-y to 150.3 million tonnes, according to vessels tracking data from LSEG. This followed a +1.9% y-o-y increase in 2024. In Jan-Mar 2026, the UAE exported 33.3 mln tonnes of crude, down – 2.9% y-o-y from 34.3 mln t in the same period of 2025. The vast majority of UAE oil exports are shipped from Abu Dhabi Emirate, west of the Strait of Hormuz – in JanDec 2025 it was 47.7 mln tonnes from Zirku Island, 29.9 mln tonnes from Das Island, 14.9 mln tonnes from Jebel Dhanna/Ruwais, and 1.0 mln t from Mubarraz Island. About 3.0 mln tonnes were shipped from the Dubai Emirate, mostly from the Fateh terminal. The remaining third of the UAE’s exports were shipped from the coast east of the Strait of Hormuz – 53.4 mln tonnes from Fujairah, and 0.3 mln tonnes from Khor Fakkan (part of Sharjah Emirate)”. 
“The vast majority of UAE crude oil exports are loaded on VLCCs. In JanDec 2025, 131.6 mln t were shipped on VLCCs, 13.7 mln t on Suezmaxes, 4.9 mln t on Aframaxes. Trade patterns for UAE crude oil exports tend to be quite long haul, with the vast majority of volumes going to Asia. The ASEAN region accounted for 25.6% of UAE exports in Jan-Dec 2025. Exports to ASEAN increased by +6.6% y-o-y in Jan-Dec 2025 to 38.5 mln t. About 22.9% of shipments in 2025 were sent to Japan. Exports to Japan declined by -4.6% y-o-y in Jan-Dec 2025 to 34.4 mln t. China accounted for 22.0% of UAE exports in Jan-Dec 2025. Exports to China increased by +10.6% y-o-y in Jan-Dec 2025 to 33.1 mln t. 14.6% of exports from the UAE in Jan-Dec 2025 were to India. Shipments to India increased by +17.2% y-o-y in Jan-Dec 2025 to 21.9 mln tonnes”, Banchero Costa concluded.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide