UAE leads Gulf in Swiss watch imports, with $770 million in first half of 2025

Dubai: The UAE has topped all Gulf countries in Swiss watch imports during the first half of 2025, spending over $770 million, according to official data published by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry and cited by CNN. 

The UAE alone accounted for 58 per cent of the total imports by five Gulf countries, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. 

Collectively, the five nations imported Swiss watches worth approximately 1.07 billion Swiss francs ($1.33 billion) between January and June 2025. 

The figure reflects a slight dip from the same period in 2024, which saw imports valued at 1.078 billion francs ($1.34 billion).

In June alone, Gulf imports totaled 170.2 million francs ($210.7 million), marginally up from 169.3 million francs ($210 million) in June 2024. 

The UAE again led the month, with imports rising to 100 million francs ($124 million), a 2.9 per cent year-on-year increase.

Saudi Arabia retained its second place ranking with half-year imports totaling 171.2 million francs ($212.3 million), up from 159.5 million francs ($197.8 million) in the same period last year. 

June imports also rose slightly to 27.7 million francs ($34.35 million), from 26.2 million francs ($32.5 million) in June 2024.

Qatar’s imports for the first half of 2025 reached 140.2 million francs ($174 million), showing a slight decline from 143.8 million francs ($178.3 million) in 2024. 

In June, imports dipped to 21.3 million francs ($26.41 million) from 21.7 million francs ($26.9 million) last year.

Kuwait ranked fourth, importing 86.9 million francs ($107.8 million) in the first six months of 2025, down from 97 million francs ($120.3 million) in 2024. 

Monthly data showed a sharp drop in June imports to 12.3 million francs ($14.9 million), compared to 17 million francs ($21.08 million) in June 2024.

Bahrain rounded out the list with 51.9 million francs ($64.35 million) in imports during the first half of 2025, an increase from 49.3 million francs ($61.13 million) in the same period last year. 

June imports also rose to 8.9 million francs ($11 million), from 7.06 million francs ($8.75 million) the year before.

Globally, Swiss watch exports in the first half of 2025 remained relatively flat, inching up by 0.1 per cent to 12.09 billion francs ($15 billion), compared to 12.08 billion francs ($14.98 billion) a year earlier. 

However, June exports fell by 4.9 per cent, totaling 2.018 billion francs ($2.5 billion), down from 2.124 billion francs ($2.63 billion) in June 2024.