The Middle East conflict escalation  threatens affecting gold exports from Zimbabwe according to Financial Trading experts.

Zimbabwe’s gold is largely shipped to the United Arab Emirates.

According to Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, gold shipments, contributed 45% of total export earnings last year.

The United Arab Emirates currently getting hit by Iranian drones and cruise missiles has become unsafe.

The attacks which originally targeted  American military bases, have now been extended to major infrastructure including banks, airports, shopping centres and strategic infrastructure.

The Zimbabwean Chamber of Commerce said that disruption to the UAE’s financial or trading systems could hit Zimbabwe’s export receipts.

“This creates indirect risk for Zimbabwe’s export flows,” the chamber said. “If tensions escalate, there may be tighter compliance, financial scrutiny, or disruptions in payment channels linked to Middle East markets as well as a slowdown in economic activity.”

During the first two months of this year, the country earned $568.6 million from gold exports, more than double the year-earlier period, according to data from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.