Exports from Ireland to Arab nations in the Middle East and North Africa saw a near 15% boost in the first nine months of the year, with agri-food and seafood a key driver.

Irish agri-food exports to Arab states increased by 14.56% in value to €2.35 billion in first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The top exports include fish, dairy products, essential oils and chemicals, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar being important destinations.

Food is a key driver of Ireland’s export growth to the region, with fish, crustaceans, dairy products and eggs, and animal feed among the leading agri-exports from Ireland to the Arab states.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt remained Ireland’s largest export destinations in the Arab region, while Qatar imported an additional 43% worth of goods from Ireland between January and September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

The value of all exports to Saudi Arabia grew by almost 21% to €782.3 million, an increase of €134.4 million on 2024; the UAE recorded imports from Ireland of €590.5 million, up 13.14% year-on-year; while Egypt’s reliance on imports from Ireland rose by 5% to €169.9 million.

While Morocco, Oman and Bahrain also recorded steady growth, exports to a number of markets in the region declined during the period, including Jordan and Kuwait.

Commenting on the CSO's statistics, Ahmad Younis, the chief executive of the Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce (AICC) said: "The increase highlights continued resilience and expansion across key Middle Eastern and North African markets and the success of Irish businesses in these regions."

"At our recent Arab Irish Business Summit, Minister of State for international development and diaspora Neale Richmond spoke about the opportunities offered by this high potential region and how the government's Global Ireland Strategy has deepened and expanded trade relations," Younis said.

"We are seeing this on the ground with the hundreds of Irish businesses, particularly SMEs (small and medium enterprises) with which we work," he added.

Report

The AICC recently commissioned a report from economist Jim Power, which found that Ireland has an "inordinate dependence" on the US for exports and foreign direct investment (FDI).

The report pointed to a number of sectors in Ireland which have the potential to grow exports to Arab nations, including food, and dairy specifically.

"These results for the first nine months of 2025 show clearly that Irish exporters continue to find strong, sustained demand in Arab markets," Ahmad Younis said.

"The performance in Saudi Arabia and the UAE reinforces the depth of relationship that exists, while the notable growth in Qatar, Egypt and Morocco underlines how dynamic and diversified the region's opportunities have become," he added.