Middle-East and Africa Flat Glass Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Middle-East and Africa Flat Glass Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Middle-East and Africa flat glass market was valued at USD 6,005.76 million in 2020, and the market is projected to register a CAGR of over 3.5% during the forecast period (2021-2026).

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the production facilities were halted for several months as the lockdown was implemented, because of which the supply chain has been fractured. The GDP growth rate in 2020 was declined by 6.60% in the Middle-East region and 2.60% in Africa. The construction industry and automotive industry have been the most affected ones due to lockdown regulations, affecting the flat glass market.

Key Highlights

• Over the medium term, growing demand from the construction industry is the major factor driving the growth of the market studied.
• On the flip side, fluctuating raw material prices are expected to hinder the growth of the market studied.
• The United Arab Emirates remains the fastest growing construction market in the region during the forecast timeline.

Key Market TrendsGrowing Demand from the Construction Industry

• Flat glasses are made of sodium silicate and calcium silicate, and they are available in thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm. They have a weight range of 6 kg/m2-36 kg/m2. These glasses are often considered building blocks for several types of architectural and interior applications. ​
• Glasses are being used extensively in the construction industry, in windows, facades, doors, interior partitions, balustrades, shop fronts, and railings for stairs and balconies, among other building parts, thereby providing potential opportunities to flat glasses. ​
• Body-tinted flat glass is a new type of glass in which melted colorants are added for coloring and solar-radiation absorption properties. This type of glass saves energy, reduces heat penetration into buildings, and provides a striking visual effect.​
• Previously, flat glass was used for smaller windows in domestic housing since larger windows required toughened glasses. Currently, flat glass can also be toughened by putting it through a heating process that almost melts it and then cools it to ambient temperatures by using a jet of cold air. This glass requires greater pressure to break. This characteristic makes the glass suitable for use in building applications.​
• The use of glass in the construction provides a more pleasing and attractive look to the buildings. The glass is used in various parts of the building, starting from small components such as windows to the larger parts and backbone of the buildings, i.e., walls. In the building and construction industry, laminated and reinforced toughened glass is used to serve safety purposes. ​
• In Saudi Arabia, the construction of various new projects is driving the market studied. Few major construction projects are: New Taif Project, Diriyah Gate Project, Jeddah and Riyadh Metro, Al Widyan, The Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economics City of Rabigh, Jabal Omar, etc. The announcement of Vision 2030 and the associated National Transformation Plan (NTP) increased the investments in various sectors, such as healthcare and education, to support the country’s economic growth. ​
• The government and private investments in different sectors of the country are expected to lead to the rise in residential and commercial building construction activities in the country.​ In 2019, through its Sakani housing programme, the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing announced the completion of its plan for 2019, exceeding its targets for providing the citizens housing support. ​
• Moreover, the increasing investments of Asian vendors in the African market and a steady increase in the number of smart city initiatives in the region are expected to steadily increase the demand for flat glass in the Middle East & African construction sector.

United Arab Emirates is Expected to Witness the Highest Growth

• The United Arab Emirates remains the fastest growing construction market in the region. In UAE, there are many ongoing and upcoming construction projects which are expected to contribute to the demand for flat glass in the country.
• The majority of construction projects in the United Arab Emirates are in Dubai with underdevelopment projects like 75-storey tower in the Downtown Dubai, including 371 flats, 254 hotel rooms, and 321 hotel apartments come online in 2020 and Bloom towers and heights. Bloom Towers consist of 944 residential units, while Bloom heights comprise 686 residential units.
• The construction sector has a promising outlook in the country, thanks to various government initiatives such as the Ministry of Education Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021, National Strategy of Higher Education 2030, the Energy Strategy 2050, the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, and Dubai Tourism Strategy. These initiatives expect investment in the residential, energy, and utility sectors and infrastructure and commercial construction projects, thereby driving the demand for flat glass during the forecast period.
• In 2019, the United Arab Emiartes opened the world’s largest solar farm, Noor Abu Dhabi, with a production capacity of nearly 1,177 MW. These are expected to create demand for the flat glass market.​
• According to the new regulations enforced by the Emirate's Municipality and Planning Department, the residences in Ajman city require a green permit ahead of their construction.
• The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), in collaboration with the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), organized the Solar Decathlon Middle East Seminar, as the country aims to provide about 75% of its total power output from clean energy by 2050.
• Governments across the Middle East are rolling out robust initiatives to diversify their economies and shift from their reliance on oil to renewable energies, especially solar energy. These initiatives are also expected to bolster the growth of the market studied over the forecast period.
• Owing to all the aforementioned factors, the market for flat glass in the country is likely to grow during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The Middle-East and Africa flat glass market is consolidated in nature. Major players, such as AGC Inc., Saint-Gobain, and Schott AG, are well known for their brand names and aggressive branding strategies. The robust dealer network established by the major players increases their competitiveness and dominance in the global, as well as regional market.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

AGC Inc.
Saint
Gobain
SCHOTT AG
Corning Incorporated
Vitro S.A.B. de C.V
Phoenicia
Koch Industries Inc.
Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd
Kaveh Glass Group
Ghazvin Glass Co.

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