Report : Crude Steel Production in Arab Countries for January – October 2025

The steel sector in the Arab region recorded a steady and balanced performance during October 2025 across the Gulf, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Most Arab countries achieved notable growth in production, supported by continued industrial expansion and rising local and regional demand for steel products.
Aggregated data for the period from January to October 2025 confirms an upward trend in Arab steel production, with a growth rate of 7.2% compared to the previous year, reinforcing the strengthening role of Arab countries within the global steel landscape.

Strong Performance in the Gulf Area

Gulf countries posted solid growth in crude steel production during October 2025, driven primarily by a significant increase in Saudi Arabia, where output rose by 12.8%, maintaining its leading position with a cumulative production of 8.866 million tons, up 12.9%.
Qatar and Kuwait also achieved growth during the month, while the UAE recorded a slight decline of –0.3%, despite maintaining positive cumulative growth of 3.7%.
Although Oman and Bahrain saw minor decreases, total Gulf production in October reached 1.824 million tons, marking a 5.8% increase. Cumulative production for January–October grew by 9.3% to 17.785 million tons, representing one of the highest regional growth rates in the Arab world.

Continued Improvement in North Africa

North Africa delivered a positive performance in October 2025, led by Algeria, which recorded strong annual growth of 15%, followed by Morocco. Despite a significant decline in Libya’s October output of –15.1%, the country achieved exceptional cumulative growth of 39.8%.
Egypt, the region’s largest producer, remained relatively stable with a modest 0.6% increase in October, despite a cumulative decline of –2.8%.
Overall, North Africa produced 1.631 million tons in October, up 4.2%, while cumulative production for January–October reached 15.420 million tons, rising 6.3%, reflecting a notable recovery in production capacity across most countries in the region.

Stable Performance in the Eastern Mediterranean

The Eastern Mediterranean region recorded stable crude steel production in October, with Iraq and Jordan maintaining the same output levels as last year, while Yemen continued to experience declines.
Between January and October 2025, the region produced 2.844 million tons, a slight increase of 0.1%, with Iraq remaining the largest contributor. Yemen’s results highlight the ongoing challenges facing the sector there.
Total production in the Eastern Mediterranean during October reached 282 thousand tons, down –0.7%, indicating overall stability compared with other regions.

 Clear Growth in Total Arab Steel Production

Supported by strong performances from the Gulf and North Africa, crude steel production in the Arab countries continued its upward trajectory during October 2025, reaching 3.737 million tons, an increase of 4.6% over the previous year.
Cumulative production for January–October totaled 36.048 million tons, growing by 7.2%, reflecting expanded production capacity and higher operating levels across numerous Arab steel plants.
This overall performance confirms that the Arab region is steadily strengthening its presence in the global steel industry.