Dangote Refinery Imports First UAE Crude Cargoes
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has imported its first-ever crude cargoes from the United Arab Emirates, marking a significant expansion of its feedstock sources amid domestic supply challenges.
According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the two shipments are the refinery’s first from any Middle Eastern supplier, signalling a shift from its traditional reliance on Nigerian, African, and US crude grades.
The purchases followed renewed confidence in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, after the US and Iran reached an interim peace agreement earlier this year.
Although designed primarily to process Nigeria’s light sweet crude, the refinery has been diversifying its crude slate as operations ramp up.
An agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) guarantees 13–15 cargoes monthly in naira, reducing forex exposure, but supply constraints have forced the refinery to look abroad.
Chief Executive Officer David Bird previously acknowledged that inadequate crude availability and operational issues at export terminals had compelled the company to seek alternative sources.
Dangote plans to double capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, enabling it to process about 80% of Nigeria’s recent crude output in a single day.
Bird said the refinery intends to increase heavier crude grades in its mix: “We definitely want to heavy up the barrel, at 1.4 million b/d we could process 30% Middle Eastern grades on each train.”
In 2025, about 70% of the refinery’s crude imports came from Nigeria, while 24% originated from the United States, highlighting its growing ambition to operate as a fully merchant refinery.
Analysts say the UAE imports mark a turning point, positioning Dangote Refinery as a global player capable of balancing domestic supply gaps with international procurement.