Arab nations rank high among top fertilizer exporters

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman have emerged among the top 15 fertilizer exporters in 2023, according to the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA).

Over the past decade, the GCC’s fertiliser production capacity has expanded significantly, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.86% from 2013 to 2023, adding an additional 13.2 million tonnes, GPCA’s Research Specialist Noora Mukhtar reported.

The growth has been driven by the GCC’s vast natural gas reserves and its investment in advanced nitrogen production facilities.

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Nitrogen-based fertilisers, mainly urea and ammonia, dominate the market, comprising 82.3% of the GCC’s fertiliser output in 2023.

With a strong export focus, the region supplies nitrogen fertilisers to 63 countries, with India, the U.S., and Singapore as the top destinations, accounting for 62% of the nitrogen export value in 2022.

Rising global demand for fertilisers is spurred by the need for food security amid population growth.

Projections indicate global demand for urea and ammonia will reach 300 million and 290 million tonnes annually by 2030, reinforcing the GCC’s role in this sector.

Mukhtar emphasised the importance of balancing economic viability with sustainability, suggesting that regional collaborations and investment in research are critical to navigating these competing priorities.