GCC Rubber Extruded Rods Market Showcases Volume Growth But Value Under Pressure

Date: October 2025

Region: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – includes countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman.

Key Figures & Trends

  • Consumption volume of extruded rods and profile shapes of cellular vulcanised rubber in the GCC rose to 2.1 thousand tons in 2024 — a notable 30% increase compared with 2023.
  • The market value, however, fell sharply to US$10 million in 2024, a 52.6% drop year-on-year.
  • Forecasts point to modest growth through to 2035:
  • Volume is expected to reach ~2.4 thousand tons by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~+1.1% from 2024–2035.
  • Value is projected to rise to US$13 million by 2035, with a CAGR of ~+2.5% over the same period.

Country-by-Country Highlights

In 2024, the largest consuming countries in the region for this product were:

  • UAE: ~948 tons (≈45% of regional volume)
  • Saudi Arabia: ~864 tons
  • Bahrain: ~168 tons

Production in 2024 fell to ~1.3 thousand tons (-13.1% from previous years) with the UAE responsible for ~77% of regional output (~978 tons).

Imports rose sharply: GCC imported ~1.1 thousand tons in 2024 (+115% from prior year) with Saudi Arabia accounting for ~77% of that import volume (~865 tons). UAE’s import ~183 tons.

Exports dropped to ~281 tons in 2024 (-20.4%). UAE remained the largest exporter (~214 tons).

Price dynamics:

  • Import price in GCC averaged US$8,150/ton in 2024 (-23.1% vs previous year). UAE import price much higher (~US$11,923/ton).
  • Export price in GCC averaged ~US$6,082/ton in 2024 (-18.3% vs previous year). UAE export ~US$3,715/ton; Bahrain far higher (~US$13,623/ton).

Interpretation & Implications

  • The volume uptick (30% growth in 2024) suggests rising demand for extruded cellular vulcanised rubber rods and profile shapes in the GCC — possibly driven by infrastructure, construction, sealing/gasket applications, insulation, or other utilitarian uses.
  • The value decline (-52.6%) signals significant price erosion or shift to lower-cost grades/products. Companies will need to guard margins carefully.
  • The sluggish forecast (1.1% volume CAGR, 2.5% value CAGR) suggest that while growth continues, it is not spectacular — pointing to a maturing segment where incremental gains are likely rather than explosive demand.
  • High import growth combined with falling domestic production points to supply-chain gaps or competitive pressure from lower-cost offshore producers. Local producers may need to revisit cost structures, product differentiation, or niche specialisations.
  • The diverging prices between countries reflect uneven competitive conditions — e.g., UAE’s high import price vs Gulf average, Bahrain’s export price being significantly higher. This indicates potential for value-add/quality premium or conversely cost disadvantage depending on the segment.
  • Stakeholders (manufacturers, importers, investors) should note that with modest growth ahead, efficiency, cost control, product innovation or downstream integration may become more critical than simply riding demand growth.

Outlook & Strategic Advice

  • Firms should target higher-value product segments (e.g., specialised foam rubber profiles, high-performance sealing, thermal/acoustic insulation) rather than commodity rods.
  • Consider regional supply-chain localisation to reduce import dependency, especially for high-demand markets like Saudi Arabia and UAE.
  • Monitor material cost trends (cellular foam rubber feedstocks), energy/utility costs, and regulatory factors (e.g., GCC national manufacturing localisation initiatives, import tariffs/duties).
  • Evaluate opportunities in recycling, reuse of vulcanised foam rubber (circular economy), since slow growth in traditional demand may push diversification.
  • Investors should temper expectations: the segment is stable, not high-growth, so returns may come primarily from operational excellence rather than market expansion.

Reference

For full details and data tables, the report “GCC – Extruded Rods And Profile Shapes Of Cellular Vulcanised Rubber – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights” from IndexBox can be found at https://www.indexbox.io/blog/extruded-vulcanized-rubber-rod-gcc-market-overview-2024-3/

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