Khaberni - Five Gulf countries, including Kuwait, imported Swiss watches with a total value of about 1.59 billion Swiss francs (two billion US dollars) during the first nine months of 2025, according to data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, reported by CNN Economics.
The five Gulf countries included the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, where the value of imports during the same period last year was about 1.57 billion francs (1.97 billion dollars), reflecting the stability of Gulf demand for luxury watches, despite a slight decline in global exports.
Kuwait ranked fourth in the Gulf region with imports amounting to 139.5 million francs (175.8 million dollars) during the first nine months of 2025, compared to 112 million francs (141.1 million dollars) in the same period of 2024, with an increase of about 30%.
This increase reflects a clear improvement in the sales of luxury goods within the Kuwaiti market, where the local consumer continues to show a preference for high-end products that combine refined taste and known Swiss quality.
The UAE accounted for the largest share in the Gulf region with 57% of the total imports, with imports amounting to 908.9 million francs (1.14 billion dollars), maintaining its position among the top ten global markets for Swiss watches.
Saudi Arabia was second in the Gulf region with imports valued at 262.2 million francs (330.4 million dollars), showing a 9% growth compared to last year, reflecting the continued strong demand for luxury watches in the Saudi market.
Qatar ranked third with 204.5 million francs (257.7 million dollars), while Bahrain was fifth with 78 million francs (98.3 million dollars).
The total exports of Swiss watches from January to September 2025 amounted to about 18.95 billion francs (23.88 billion dollars), with a decline of 1.2% compared to the same period last year.
In September alone, exports decreased by 3.1% year-on-year to two billion francs (2.52 billion dollars), affected by a decrease in demand from the American market.
