Economy of Sudan

Primary resources in Sudan are agricultural, including cotton, peanuts, gum arabic, and sesame seeds. Despite efforts to diversify cash crops, cotton and peanuts remain the major agricultural exports. Grain sorghum (dura) is the primary food crop, while wheat is cultivated for domestic consumption. Sesame seeds and peanuts are grown for both domestic use and increasingly for export. Three main agricultural sub-sectors are active in Sudan: pastoral livestock, cropping, and fish production. Livestock production, particularly of cows, sheep, and camels, has significant potential, with many animals exported to Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Sudan is often considered one of the world's potential breadbaskets, earning the nickname "Arab world food basket" as it possesses 45% of the arable land in the Arab world. Cotton is the principal export crop and a vital component of Sudan's economy. Sudan ranks as the world's third-largest producer of sesame after India and China.

Sudan's industrial development includes agricultural processing, electronics assembly, plastics manufacturing, furniture production, tanning, sugar production, and various light industries concentrated in the 10 industrial areas in Khartoum. With many countries relying on Sudan for medicines and medical services, the country is positioning itself as a hub for the medical industry in East Africa, attracting investments and covering about 70% of regional needs while also exporting to neighboring nations. Sudan is known for its abundant mineral resources, with extensive exploration for gold, which yields nearly 30 tons annually, significantly boosting the nation's foreign exchange reserves with investments from around the world. Asbestos, chromium, mica, kaolin, and copper are also commercially exploited, particularly for export to China.

Today, oil is a crucial export industry, accounting for a substantial portion of Sudan's total exports. Major importers of Sudanese oil include Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, and India. Oil fields in the south, such as those at Heglig and in the South Sudanese state of Unity, are connected to refineries via pipelines. The Greater Nile Oil Pipeline spans 1,600 kilometers from the Unity oil field to Port Sudan on the Red Sea via Khartoum, while the PetroDar pipeline extends 1,380 kilometers from the Palogue oil field in the Melut Basin to Port Sudan.

Sudan hosts two trans-African automobile routes: the Cairo-Cape Town Highway from north to south and the N'Djamena-Djibouti Highway from west to east. The country possesses 4,725 kilometers of narrow-gauge, single-track railroads, primarily serving the northern and central regions. A main line runs from Wadi Halfa on the Egyptian border to Khartoum and southwest to Al Ubayyid via Sannar and Kusti. Other lines connect Atbarah and Sannar with Port Sudan, and Sannar with Ad Damazin.

The country seeks to expand its electricity generation capacity, with around 300 MW installed, 180 MW of which is hydroelectric. European investors are potential technology providers for this purpose. The Roseires Dam on the Blue Nile grid contributes over 70% of Sudan's hydropower.