Middle East and North Africa Mapping Market

Middle East and North Africa Mapping Market

Middle East and North Africa Mapping Market reached US$ 1.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 2.9 billion by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

During the forecast period, the growing adoption of smart governance initiatives will generate significant growth opportunities for mapping market in the middle east. To formulate targeted policies aimed at improving convenience and quality of life for local citizens, national governments in the middle east are likely to resort to mapping services for developing a thorough understanding of urban population dynamics.

Since most of the demand for mapping solutions and services is generated by major government-backed initiatives and infrastructure projects, a change in government policy could be detrimental to market growth over the medium and long term. It could lead to de-prioritization of certain projects, which could led to their subsequent cancellation, thus decreasing the demand for mapping services.

Dynamics

Increasing Need for Intelligent Traffic Management Solutions

The astonishingly rapid pace of urbanization in middle eastern cities, especially those of the gulf countries has left digital and navigational map services scrambling to catch up. Furthermore, the rapid influx of immigrants arriving to pursue new economic opportunities has created multitude of problems, such as traffic congestions.

For instance, in July 2023, Dubai’s road transit authority (RTA) announced the implementation of new traffic management solutions designed to cut transit time around the Dubai marina by 67%. As urban centers in the middle become more denser and start interfering with the local quality of life, the need for intelligent traffic management solutions will only increase over the upcoming years.

Expansion of Urban Rapid Transit Systems

Middle eastern cities were primarily designed around car-based infrastructure such as highways, flyovers and expressways. High rates of car ownership coupled with extremely low fuel costs made car-based transportation the leading choice for commute in many middle eastern countries, especially those in the gulf. However, with growing congestion and other disruptions, governments have started implementing alternative public transportation solutions.

Qatar constructed a metro system linking all the major stadiums hosting the football world cup matches in order to ease the commuting for fans and tourists. Saudi Arabia is also constructing an extensive metro network for its capital city of Riyadh. The metro system consisting of six lines and costing nearly US$ 22.5 billion is scheduled to open for passengers in early 2025. The expansion of public transit systems will augment the demand for mapping solutions and services during the forecast period.

Strict Security Legislations

The security situation in the middle east has been volatile and although gulf countries are stable and peaceful, a few stray security incidents are enough to upend stability. In order to prevent any threat to stability, all major middle eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and UAE have stringent national security legislations. Such legislations might intefere with the workings of the mapping market.

Many geographical areas are off-limits ore restricted for access to the general public under national security legislations. Therefore, these areas cannot be accessed for mapping leading to incomplete data and creating major constraints for the overall expansion of the mapping market.

Segment Analysis

The Middle East and north Africa mapping market is segmented based on type, application, end-user and country.

Outdoor Mapping will Command a Major Market Share

The rapid growth in real estate construction projects as well as transportation infrastructure has changed the urban landscape in nearly all major globalized middle eastern cities. It has increased the need for developing targeted urban management solutions in order to ensure sustainable growth of cities in the upcoming years. It has therefore augmented demand for outdoor mapping services and solutions.

3D mapping is also witnessing a major surge in demand, although its is generally limited to historically important cities such as Mecca and Medina. 3D mapping is mainly utilized for devising new urban planning solutions in these cities whilst preserving historical monuments and city quarters.

Geographical Penetration

New Urban Construction Projects Makes Saudi Arabia the Fastest Growing Market

Saudi Arabia is currently on a major urban construction spree as it seeks to implement the goals of the Vision 2031 economic transformation program. The infrastructure growth will be further boosted by the announcement, in October 2023, of Saudi Arabia winning the hosting rights of the 2034 FIFA world cup. Both these events will require significant investment in urban renewal projects.

Although UAE currently retains the largest market share in the middle east, Saudi Arabia is likely to overtake it over the course of the forecast period in market demand. One of the main factors behind this phenomenon is that Saudi Arabia has much higher capital to deploy for urban infrastructure projects, on account of windfall profits from the sale of oil and gas.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic created various opportunities for the MENA mapping market. The healthcare sector witnessed a major surge in demand for mapping services, particularly to track the spread of COVID-19 infections and devise response policies accordingly. Governments used mapping to issue targeted lockdowns and containment measures in order to limit economic disruptions.

The post-pandemic period led to a major recovery in demand for mapping services from other sectors, mainly urban management, energy and agriculture. However, a potential slowdown in the real estate market could create renewed growth challenges for the mapping market over the medium term.

Russia-Ukraine War Impact Analysis

The middle eastern luxury market was augmented over the course of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as wealthy Russians parked their capital in luxury real estate projects, especially in UAE and Qatar. The boom in luxury real estate construction due to increased demand from wealthy Russian citizens will create stable medium to long term demand for mapping market.

European countries pivoting towards middle eastern energy supplies to rid themselves of dependency on Russian oil and gas will further augment demand for mapping solutions and services as the expansion of energy infrastructure takes place to accommodate a rise in demand from European countries.

By Type
• Indoor Mapping
• Outdoor Mapping
• 3D Mapping
• Others

By Application
• Real Time Data Management
• Routing & Navigation
• Asset Tracking
• Reverse Geocoding
• Geopositioning
• Others

By End-User
• Energy & Power
• Agriculture
• Transportation & Logistics
• Building & Construction
• Government & Security
• Others

By Country
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Oman
• Bahrain
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Rest of Middle East and North Africa

Key Developments
• In December 2023, Genesys, an Indian company specializing in mapping and geospatial analysis, won a contract from the Saudi government to create a 3D digital twin of the city of Mecca.
• In February 2024, Alibaba Group Ltd, a major Chinese multinational tech company, announced plans to expand its e-commerce and mapping services in the middle east, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Competitive Landscape

The major global players in the market include Google, Apple Inc., Esri Global, TomTom International BV, INRIX, HERE, MapQuest Holdings LLC, Alibaba Group Ltd., Caliper Corporation and Genesys.

Why Purchase the Report?
• To visualize the MENA mapping market segmentation based on type, application, end-user and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous data points of pouch tapes market-level with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The Middle East and North Africa Mapping Market report would provide approximately 41 tables, 40 figures and 180 Pages.

Target Audience 2024
• Civil Engineering Contractors
• Construction Equipment Manufacturers
• Government Agencies
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals