Turkey was out in front as the largest consumer of rare gases in the Middle East in 2024, accounting for 58% of regional demand, according to market intelligence firm IndexBox.
Its striking consumption reflects the country’s strong and growing industrial base. Rare gases such as neon, krypton and xenon are used in industries including electronics, lighting, healthcare and aerospace. Neon is essential to semiconductor manufacturing, krypton plays a role in magnetic resonance imaging, and xenon is used in anaesthesia and satellite propulsion.
In 2024, production and consumption of rare gases was broadly aligned, with many gases being made to order and consumed near the point of production. Where rare gases do move across borders, they have mainly flowed from Russia, Germany, and Qatar.
The Middle East rare gases market (excluding argon) grew 19% in value in 2024 to $982m, despite a 1.4% decline in volume to 38 million cubic metres, said IndexBox.
Turkey led the region in consumption, using 22 million cubic metres, ahead of Saudi Arabia (11 million) and the UAE (2.3 million). By value, the Turkish demand was worth $771m. The regional market is projected to reach $1.3bn by 2035.
Globally, the rare gases market is projected to grow from around $3.27bn in 2023 to $5.7bn by 2032, driven by rising demand in semiconductors, healthcare, energy-efficient lighting and the space industry.
