Somalia, 18 October 2025 - Somalia’s livestock exports are seeing significant growth, buoyed by reduced competition from major suppliers such as Australia and Sudan.
According to Bloomberg reports, Sudan’s ongoing civil war and Australia's gradual phase-out of live animal exports have opened up new opportunities for Somalia to expand its presence in Gulf markets.
The Horn of Africa nation exports between four and six million head of livestock annually, primarily to Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Despite longstanding challenges such as political instability and recurring droughts, livestock remains Somalia’s most valuable export sector.
Government data shows that livestock export revenues rose from $523 million in 2021 to $974 million in 2024. With current momentum, Somalia is on track to exceed $1 billion in livestock exports in 2025.
“This increase can be attributed to two main factors,” said Qaasim Abdi Moallim, Director of Animal Health at Somalia’s Ministry of Livestock. “First, Sudan, once a major livestock exporter, is facing ongoing conflict. Second, Australia, another key supplier to the Gulf, has scaled back its exports. This has created an opportunity for Somalia to step in and accelerate its exports.”
Somalia’s geographic proximity to key Gulf markets has also played a vital role. Shorter shipping routes and reduced transportation costs give the country a competitive edge over distant suppliers.
Over the past four years, Somalia has exported livestock worth $2.9 billion. Much of this growth has come from capturing market share previously held by Sudan, whose economy and export infrastructure have been severely impacted by two years of civil war. In 2023 alone, Saudi Arabia imported $715 million worth of live animals from Somalia, according to the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker.
Australia’s retreat from the sector has further benefited Somalia. The country exported just 652,000 sheep by sea in the 2022–23 fiscal year, down from 5.9 million two decades earlier. The Australian government has pledged to end all live sheep exports by sea by May 2028.
Despite more than three decades of internal unrest, Somalia maintains a vast livestock population, estimated at 57 million animals, according to Agriculture Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir. Livestock exports now represent a larger source of revenue than domestic taxation. In fact, this year’s projected $1 billion in export earnings will more than double the government's expected domestic revenue of around $430 million. Somalia’s total national budget stands at $1.36 billion, a big portion funded by international donors.
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