Saudi Arabia, UAE Crude Exports Exceed Pre-War Levels; Kuwait Drops 39%

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exported more crude oil during the first 22 days of October than their pre-war averages, while five other Middle Eastern oil exporters remained below their earlier levels, according to tanker monitoring service TankerTrackers.com.

The comparison covers crude oil exports from Oct 1 to 22, 2026, against average export levels recorded in January and February.

Saudi Arabia’s crude exports increased by 10%, with a 296% surge in shipments from its west coast offsetting a 27% decline in exports from its east coast.

The UAE recorded a 6% increase in crude exports over the same period.

In contrast, Qatar’s crude exports fell by 47%, while Kuwait recorded a 39% decline compared with its pre-war average.

Iraq’s exports dropped by 13%, while Oman’s crude shipments decreased by 2%, according to TankerTrackers.com.

Iran’s crude exports remained at zero, a situation the monitoring service said had continued for more than three months.

The figures highlight diverging export trends among Middle Eastern oil producers, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE recording increases while other regional exporters continued to operate below their January-February averages.