Turkey consumes most rare gases in Middle East

Turkey was out in front as the largest consumer of rare gases in the Middle East in 2024, accounting for 58% of regional demand, according to market intelligence firm IndexBox.

Its striking consumption reflects the country’s strong and growing industrial base. Rare gases such as neon, krypton and xenon are used in industries including electronics, lighting, healthcare and aerospace. Neon is essential to semiconductor manufacturing, krypton plays a role in magnetic resonance imaging, and xenon is used in anaesthesia and satellite propulsion.

In 2024, production and consumption of rare gases was broadly aligned, with many gases being made to order and consumed near the point of production. Where rare gases do move across borders, they have mainly flowed from Russia, Germany, and Qatar.

The Middle East rare gases market (excluding argon) grew 19% in value in 2024 to $982m, despite a 1.4% decline in volume to 38 million cubic metres, said IndexBox.