The Middle East
From Chapter 4: The Middle East
The Gulf is the closest big market India sells into: three days by sea, dollar-pegged currencies, and buyers who often share your language. That is why most exporters start there, and why the 2026 shipping shock caught so many unprepared. The corridor is not one market. Each state has its own gatekeepers, from conformity marks to halal recognition to agency rules that can bind you to one local partner for years. Geography matters as much as demand: which port you ship through decides whether a closure strands your cargo. This hub gathers the headline position for each Gulf economy, the agreement status that applies to it, and the one obstacle to price in before you send a quote.
Key facts
- UAE exports
- 36.63 billion dollars FY 2024-25; second only to the United States
- UAE trade, 2026 closure
- fell about 35% on routing disruptions
- UAE agreement
- CEPA in force since May 2022; 97% of tariff lines duty-free
- Oman agreement
- CEPA in force since June 2026; 98% of tariff lines duty-free
- Gulf bloc (GCC)
- talks with the full bloc have gained momentum; no bloc agreement yet
- Agent rules
- several Gulf states have agency laws that make a distributor hard to remove
As of October 2026
Dashboard
Useful links
- Saudi SABER (external link)
conformity platform
- Gulfood / Anuga / Ambiente / Canton / Magic / SIAL / Arab Health
the circuit (dates change; verify)