Middle East Cables Market: Market Size & Forecast 2026

The market covers a broad portfolio of cable products including low-voltage, medium-voltage, and high-voltage power cables, alongside fiber optic and telecom cables. Regional demand is concentrated in the Gulf states but extends into North Africa and sub-Saharan markets as electrification and connectivity programs expand. Product standards vary by country, with many markets adopting international IEC specifications while maintaining local regulatory requirements for fire safety and desert-environment performance.

• •Market valued at $10.97 billion in 2023, reaching approximately $12.7 billion by 2026
• •Growth trajectory driven by power grid expansion, telecom network upgrades, and construction activity
• •Encompasses both copper and aluminum conductor technologies across voltage classes

Infrastructure modernization represents the primary catalyst, with governments investing heavily in power transmission networks, metro systems, and utility-scale solar and oil-and-gas facilities. The data center boom is accelerating demand for high-performance power and fiber optic cabling, as major cloud providers and colocation operators expand regional footprints. Additionally, digital transformation mandates, smart city initiatives, and industrial diversification programs under national vision frameworks are sustaining multi-year order books for cable suppliers.

• •MEA data center market projected to nearly double from $8.6 billion in 2024 to nearly $20 billion by 2030
• •National electrification targets and grid reinforcement programs across GCC and non-GCC markets
• •Rising copper and aluminum wire demand aligned with construction and energy sector growth

The market is commonly segmented by voltage class, with low-voltage building wires representing the largest volume segment, while medium- and high-voltage cables command higher value per unit due to material intensity and project scale. Telecom cables, including fiber optic variants, are growing faster than power cables as broadband penetration increases. Geographically, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries dominate current demand, but East Africa and Egypt are emerging as faster-growing secondary markets as regional interconnectivity projects advance.

• •GCC copper wire segment alone valued at approximately $2.2 billion in 2025, growing toward $3.1 billion by 2031
• •Low-voltage cables lead in volume; high-voltage cables lead in value due to material and project complexity
• •Emerging markets in East Africa and North Africa expanding as cross-border transmission and telecom projects proceed

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The Middle East cables market features a moderately fragmented competitive structure shaped by both global integrated players and regionally anchored specialists, with no single firm holding a commanding regional share. Prysmian Group and Nexans leverage their global scale and diversified product portfolios, spanning high-voltage power, telecom, and specialty cables, to compete on technology breadth and long-term project partnerships across the region. Elsewedy Electric and Riyadh Cables Group Company draw on deep domestic manufacturing footprints in Egypt and Saudi Arabia respectively, positioning themselves as cost-competitive, locally integrated suppliers for utility and construction end-markets. Oman Cables Industry capitalizes on its Omani production base and regional logistics advantages to serve Gulf markets with agility, while Ducab rounds out its UAE origins to target high-end infrastructure and oil & gas projects with differentiated quality and rapid delivery. Production remains anchored on copper and aluminum rod feedstocks, with process routes varying from conventional extrusion for power cables to precision drawing and optical fiber coating for telecom and fine-wire applications. Capacity is concentrated in major industrial hubs that balance feedstock access with proximity to key end-user clusters.

• •Industry features integrated producers with downstream cable operations alongside specialty manufacturers focused on niche applications
• •Primary feedstocks are copper and aluminum rods, with technology centered on extrusion, stranding, and insulation processes
• •Manufacturing capacity concentrated in Gulf industrial zones and key North African locations with access to regional demand centers

What are the recent trends and outlook?

Over the forecast horizon, the market is expected to maintain steady 5% annual growth as backlogged infrastructure projects advance and new generation renewable energy installations require extensive balance-of-system cabling. Submarine cable projects connecting regional power grids and telecom networks will create high-value contract opportunities. Material cost volatility, particularly in copper pricing, alongside evolving fire-safety and sustainability specifications, will shape procurement strategies and product development priorities across the supplier base through 2030 and beyond.

• •Renewable energy projects, including large-scale solar farms, generating incremental demand for specialized medium-voltage cables
• •Submarine power and telecom interconnector projects creating high-value, technically complex cable opportunities
• •Sustainability and low-smoke-zero-halogen material requirements gaining regulatory traction in multiple markets