Who have we entrusted with oil imports? Saudi Arabia dominates in May, Oman drops off the list
Imports of petroleum and mineral fuels into Albania for May 2025 have undergone a significant shift compared to the same month a year earlier, both in value and origin. The processed trade data show that Saudi Arabia has taken a dominant role in supplying the Albanian market, providing nearly 40% of total imports in May 2025, up from only 18.2% a year earlier. In value, this translates to more than 2.1 billion lek, almost double last year's imports from this country.
Meanwhile, Oman, which in May 2024 ranked as the second largest partner with 15.2% of the total, has completely disappeared from the list of partners this year. This is one of the most significant geopolitical shifts in the country's oil supply chain.
The above development for May comes at a time of increasing tension in the Middle East, where conflicts between Iran and Israel, as well as threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic hub for oil transportation, have increased uncertainties in international energy markets. Oman, a country strategically positioned in this channel, seems to have lost its role as a supply hub for Albania, perhaps also due to the reconfiguration of trade chains.
In its place, new actors have entered such as Egypt, which in May 2025 already holds second place with 11.9% of the total, up from only 1.6% a year earlier, as well as Algeria, which has maintained a stable and significant share (9% in 2024 and 10.7% in 2025).
Interestingly, Israel, which in May 2024 accounted for 13.3% of total imports, has dropped to a very small share this year, with only about 22 million lek worth of imports.
Greece and Italy, which have traditionally been among the stable suppliers, have seen a significant decrease in their weight. Greece falls from 13.6% to just 3.9%, while Italy from 5.5% to 1.2%. Meanwhile, Croatia and Romania have emerged as more important suppliers this year, with 5.5% and 3.8% of the total, respectively.
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