RIYADH: The Middle East plays a crucial role in global supply chains for critical materials, particularly aluminum, sulfur and helium, with the region accounting for about 8 percent of global primary aluminum output, a new analysis showed.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026, the region also supplies roughly one-quarter of the world’s sulfur and hosts trade routes carrying half of global seaborne sulfur shipments, underscoring its strategic importance to industries ranging from fertilizers and semiconductors to aerospace and defense.
The findings come as governments seek to diversify critical mineral supply chains and strengthen resilience against geopolitical disruptions amid growing demand for materials needed for the energy transition and advanced manufacturing.
The IEA described Bahrain’s Aluminum Bahrain, or Alba, as the world’s largest aluminum smelter outside China, while producers in Qatar and the UAE supply key markets across Europe, Asia and North America.
“Exports from the region before the conflict accounted for more than 10 percent of total aluminium supply for the EU, Japan, Korea and Mexico, and just under 20 percent for the US,” the analysis stated.
