01Key Takeaways
- Bahrain's exports totaled $12.41 billion in 2023, down 44.2% from $22.25 billion in 2022, a sharp reversal after an unusually strong prior year.
- Saudi Arabia was the top destination, absorbing 23.5% of exports worth $2.91 billion, followed by the UAE at 14.3% ($1.77 billion).
- The USA ranked third at 8.4% ($1.04 billion), bringing the top three destinations to 46.1% of total export value.
- Aluminium and articles thereof dominated export categories at 38.3% of total value ($4.76 billion), with ores, slag, and ash second at 14.8% ($1.84 billion).
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $14.2B | $11.6B | $18.2B | $22.3B | $12.4B |
03Top Export Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | $2.9B | 23.5% |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | $1.8B | 14.3% |
| 3 | United States | $1.0B | 8.4% |
| 4 | Netherlands | $539.8M | 4.4% |
| 5 | Egypt | $458.0M | 3.7% |
| 6 | India | $387.8M | 3.1% |
| 7 | Oman | $380.3M | 3.1% |
| 8 | Turkey | $369.4M | 3.0% |
| 9 | Kuwait | $314.9M | 2.5% |
| 10 | Algeria | $298.5M | 2.4% |
04Top Export Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aluminium and Articles thereof | $4.8B | 38.3% |
| 2 | Ores, Slag and Ash | $1.8B | 14.8% |
| 3 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $748.4M | 6.0% |
| 4 | Iron and Steel | $644.9M | 5.2% |
| 5 | Dairy Produce; Birds' Eggs; Natural Honey; Edible Products of Animal Origin, not elsewhere specified or included | $504.7M | 4.1% |
| 6 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $482.8M | 3.9% |
| 7 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $410.8M | 3.3% |
| 8 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $397.8M | 3.2% |
| 9 | Fertilisers | $290.5M | 2.3% |
| 10 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $221.3M | 1.8% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Bahrain's Top Export Destinations in 2023
Bahrain exported $12.41 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a decline of 44.2% from the $22.25 billion recorded in 2022. Saudi Arabia was the largest destination for Bahrain's exports, absorbing 23.5% of the total, worth $2.91 billion.
The United Arab Emirates ranked second at 14.3% ($1.77 billion), ahead of the United States at 8.4% ($1.04 billion) and the Netherlands at 4.4% ($539.84 million). Egypt took fifth place at 3.7% ($458.00 million), followed by India at 3.1% ($387.85 million) and Oman at 3.1% ($380.28 million). Turkey supplied 3.0% ($369.37 million), Kuwait added 2.5% ($314.92 million), and Algeria rounded out the top ten at 2.4% ($298.49 million). Together, the top three destinations made up 46.1% of total export value.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait together, four fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members, account for a substantial share of Bahrain's export destinations, reflecting deep regional economic integration and the ease of overland and short-sea trade within the Gulf. That regional cluster sits alongside longer-distance relationships with the USA, the Netherlands, and Türkiye, giving Bahrain's export base reach beyond its immediate neighborhood even as Gulf markets anchor the top of the list.
Beyond the Gulf cluster, Egypt, India, Türkiye, and Algeria round out a partner list that spans North Africa, South Asia, and the wider Middle East, each contributing between roughly 2.4% and 3.7% of the total. None of these secondary partners individually approaches the scale of Saudi Arabia or the UAE, but together they show Bahrain's exports reaching a broader set of markets than the Gulf relationships alone would suggest. Egypt's fifth-place ranking is worth noting given the distance involved, pointing to established trade links across the wider Middle East and North Africa region rather than trade confined strictly to the Gulf itself.
An Export Economy Anchored by Aluminium
Aluminium and articles thereof dominated Bahrain's export categories in 2023, worth $4.76 billion and accounting for 38.3% of total export value, by a wide margin the largest single category. Ores, slag, and ash followed at 14.8%, worth $1.84 billion, and machinery and mechanical appliances ranked third at 6.0% ($748.35 million).
Iron and steel added 5.2% ($644.91 million), while dairy produce, eggs, and honey contributed 4.1% ($504.74 million). Iron or steel articles brought in 3.9% ($482.78 million), and precious stones and metals added 3.3% ($410.83 million). Vehicles contributed 3.2% ($397.79 million), fertilizers added 2.3% ($290.51 million), and plastics closed out the top ten at 1.8% ($221.25 million).
Aluminium and the closely related ores, slag, and ash category together account for more than half of Bahrain's total export value, reflecting the country's position as home to one of the world's largest single-site aluminium smelting operations. That concentration in a single metal and its associated processing byproducts is unusual even among resource-exporting economies, where oil, gas, or a broader basket of minerals more commonly anchors the export profile rather than one specific metal.
Beyond metals, the category list includes a mix of machinery, dairy products, precious stones, vehicles, and fertilizers, pointing to a smaller but genuine re-export and light manufacturing sector operating alongside the dominant aluminium industry. Dairy produce ranking fifth is a notable detail for a small Gulf state, likely reflecting re-export activity through Bahrain's logistics and free trade zones rather than domestic dairy production. Iron and steel appearing twice on the list, both as raw material and as finished articles, together worth more than $1.1 billion, further reinforces the picture of a metals-heavy export economy that extends beyond aluminium alone into ferrous metals as well.
A Sharp Decline Tied to Falling Aluminium Prices
The five-year trend shows exports climbing for two consecutive years before a sharp reversal in 2023. Exports moved from $14.17 billion in 2019 to $11.56 billion in 2020, recovered to $18.20 billion in 2021, climbed further to $22.25 billion in 2022, then fell 44.2% to $12.41 billion in 2023. That decline brought the total below every year since 2020, a considerably steeper pullback than a simple return to pre-surge levels.
This pattern is consistent with reporting from AlCircle, which described how Aluminium Bahrain, the operator of the country's major smelter, saw full-year profit fall 71.6% in 2023 as global aluminium prices dropped 16.8% and premiums fell 35.3% compared with 2022. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.