Middle East

Over the last two months, the non-ferrous recycling market in the Middle East has been active and generally positive. Demand for non-ferrous recyclables - especially aluminium and copper - is being supported by construction, power projects, cable production and general industrial growth in the region.

At the same time, governments within the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are pushing recycling and circular economy targets as part of their long-term development plans. As a result, the region continues to act both as a collection and export hub for recyclables and as a growing consumer of its own non-ferrous recyclables through local smelters and processors.

Copper price fluctuations are playing a major role in how recyclables move in the market. When copper prices rise, more recyclables come to the market as companies and individuals sell cables, motors and industrial off-cuts to benefit from the higher financial returns; when prices are unstable or falling, the flow of recyclables into yards is temporarily reduced as many sellers wait for better levels. Margins become squeezed for dealers and processors when they pay more to secure recyclables, while selling prices to factories and smelters adjust more slowly. High copper prices also make exporting recyclables more attractive for traders, which can compete with local demand from the region’s industries.

Looking ahead, the Middle East is clearly moving towards strengthening local recycling capacity and more value added in the region. New and expanded plants - particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE - are being developed to process more aluminium and copper recyclables into billets, ingots and alloys for domestic use. Governments and large industrial players are focusing on improving collection systems and keeping more high-quality, non-ferrous recyclables inside the region instead of exporting them in raw form.

At the same time, there is growing interest in marketing recycled metals as low-carbon, “green” products, which can help regional producers access customers with strict sustainability requirements and improve the overall competitiveness of the Middle East in global metal markets.