Ghana shifts gold refining hubs due to Dubai flight delays
Ghana is exploring new gold refining hubs as Middle East conflict disrupts flights to Dubai. The move aims to secure trade and curb illicit bullion flows.
The state-run artisanal gold exporter in Ghana is preparing to shift its cargo to alternative refining hubs as flight disruptions to the United Arab Emirates persist. The ongoing conflict involving Iran has grounded much of the air transport in Dubai, a major global trading center that supplies markets in Switzerland, Hong Kong, and India.
For Ghana, which is Africa's largest and the world's sixth-largest gold producer, Dubai typically refines about 80% of the output from its artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. GoldBod, the sole official buyer and exporter of Ghana's ASM gold, has already drafted contingency routes to alternative hubs, although it has yet to experience a direct impact on its operations.
