Examining the UAE’s Role in Gold Smuggling, Armed Financing, and Regional Influence |
| How Dubai Became a Global Hub for Gold from Conflict Zones Dubai's Gold Souk. Photographer: Kabir Uddin/Getty Images |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) particularly through Dubai has positioned itself as a global hub for gold trade. However, the origins of much of the gold that passes through its markets raise serious concerns. Increasing evidence suggests that the UAE’s gold imports are intricately linked to illicit supply chains, armed conflict, and state fragility in resource-rich African countries, most notably Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Sudan: Gold Revenues and Regional Power Struggles
Sudan is one of Africa’s top gold producers, with gold representing the country's most significant export. However, a large proportion of Sudan’s gold production bypasses official channels and instead enters informal or illicit trade routes, many of which lead directly to Dubai.
The UAE’s Role in Sudan’s Gold EconomyWhere are the gold mines in Dubai please?
— 🇯🇲𝕋𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕒 𝔻𝕒 𝕌𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖🫡 (@FeelDaLove25) July 27, 2025
That gold belongs to the Sudanese 🇸🇩 and Congolese 🇨🇩 people.
They are dying for it. https://t.co/6Lwr0hCHzY
The UAE is the primary destination for Sudanese gold exports.
According to Sudanese authorities and independent analysts, as much as 80% of the country’s gold is smuggled out depriving the national treasury of vital revenue.
Much of this gold reportedly enters Dubai’s gold markets, often without adequate verification of its origin or legality.
Links to Armed Groups
One of the most concerning aspects of this trade is its role in funding armed actors, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF, a powerful paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), has controlled key gold mining sites in Darfur and elsewhere.
Numerous reports, including a 2023 investigation by CNN, have alleged that the UAE provided arms and logistical support to the RSF, further implicating it in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
Gold revenues have allowed the RSF to finance its military operations, contributing to a brutal civil conflict and significant humanitarian suffering.
Broader Geopolitical Interests
The UAE has also played a broader geostrategic role in Sudan’s political transition following the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir. Alongside regional allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the UAE has supported military-aligned actors in Sudan, reportedly seeking to protect its investments and regional influence.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Conflict Minerals in Global Circulation
The DRC is endowed with immense mineral wealth, including gold, cobalt, and coltan. However, gold mining in the DRC is frequently associated with illicit exploitation, militia control, and armed conflict, particularly in the eastern provinces.
Smuggling and Supply Chains
Gold from the DRC is often extracted under dangerous and unregulated conditions, frequently involving child labor and environmental degradation.
It is then smuggled through neighboring countries notably Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi before being exported to global markets.
The UAE has been consistently identified in UN and NGO reports (including Global Witness and the UN Group of Experts) as a key destination for smuggled Congolese gold.
Regulatory Gaps in Dubai’s Gold Market
Dubai’s free-trade zones and light-touch regulation have made it an attractive destination for high-risk gold.
Despite international commitments to improve gold sourcing standards, critics argue that the UAE continues to lack robust mechanisms for verifying the origins of imported gold.
This environment allows gold originating from conflict zones to enter the international supply chain under the guise of legality.
Implications and Calls for Reform
The UAE’s involvement in the gold sectors of Sudan and the DRC reflects a broader challenge facing the global gold trade: how to ensure traceability, accountability, and ethical sourcing in a deeply fragmented market.
Issue Sudan 🇸🇩 DR Congo 🇨🇩
Gold Trade Major source of revenue, largely unregulated Gold smuggled via neighbors; limited oversight
Armed Group Involvement RSF controls gold mines; UAE-linked support Militia-controlled mining funds conflict
UAE’s Role Gold buyer; alleged military support to RSF Primary market for smuggled gold
Impact Financing of civil war, economic collapse Ongoing violence, human rights violations
Recommendations
Policymakers, international organizations, and the private sector have called for:
- Stricter due diligence requirements for gold traders and refiners.
- Improved customs and transparency frameworks in Dubai and other free-trade zones.
- Support for formalized, community-based mining initiatives in source countries.
- International sanctions or trade restrictions targeting conflict gold flows.
The UAE’s position as a global gold trading hub places it at the center of debates around resource governance, ethical finance, and conflict prevention. Without significant regulatory reform and international cooperation, gold originating from war-torn regions like Sudan and the DRC will continue to be laundered through global markets fueling violence and undermining peace and development efforts in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
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