Nairobi, Aug. 26 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) lost Sh62.7 billion worth of Kenya's import business in the first half of the year, as the Iran war disrupted Middle East fuel supply chains.

The collapse pushed the UAE from Kenya's second-largest source of imports to fourth, as Saudi Arabia emerged as a major beneficiary of the disruption while India moved into second place.

Kenya's imports from the UAE fell 35.1 percent to Sh115.9 billion in the six months to June, from Sh178.7 billion a year earlier, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

The decline accelerated after the conflict began, with Kenya's purchases from the UAE dropping by Sh60.6 billion, or 49.4 percent, to Sh62.2 billion between March and June. The impo...