Sudan resumes meat exports to Gulf with initial Kuwait shipment

September 24, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has resumed meat exports to the Gulf with a 20-tonne shipment to Kuwait, an industry official said on Thursday, as the country seeks to revive agricultural trade hit by war and an estimated $1 billion in sector losses last year.

The private sector is rehabilitating five key slaughterhouses, including the al-Kadro, al-Shaheen, and Karari al-Watani facilities near Khartoum, alongside a plant in Gedaref, to restore export capacity paralyzed by conflict and damaged infrastructure.

Khalid al-Maqbool, head of Sudan’s Meat Exporters Chamber, told Reuters that entering Kuwait marks an effort to diversify Gulf Cooperation Council buyers, with talks underway for bilateral trade pacts across the bloc due this month or next.

“We are focusing on overland transport because it lowers freight costs and moves higher volumes compared with air cargo,” Maqbool said, forecasting a steady rise in outbound shipments.

The trade drive follows a cholera outbreak that triggered strict sanitary import requirements in key export markets, requiring testing protocols previously unavailable domestically.

Exporters have coordinated with the federal health ministry, the World Health Organization, and state industrial bodies to complete certified testing procedures and regain compliance, Maqbool said.

Planned meat exports to neighbouring Egypt remain stalled after Cairo could not send inspection teams to clear facilities because of security concerns, though live cattle trade has continued.

Sudan has proposed hiring third-party international inspection agencies to clear the backlog, though negotiations remain ongoing.

Rising global meat prices have helped offset surging transport costs to distant markets, including Algeria, where demand remains steady despite disrupted domestic transit routes.

Livestock remains one of Sudan’s primary sources of foreign currency, though sustained export recovery hinges on restoring transit routes, meeting sanitary barriers, and stabilizing processing infrastructure.