Direct reduced iron (DRI) production in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) increased 8.3pct YoY to around 67.7 mln tons in 2025, according to Midrex Technologies’ 2025 World Direct Reduction Statistics. The region accounted for around 45pct of global DRI production.
The Middle East remained the main production centre, led by Iran, which produced 37.21 mln tons, up 9pct YoY. Saudi Arabia remained the region’s second-largest producer at 6.57 mln tons, although output declined 1.2pct. The UAE produced 3.38 mln tons, Oman 1.88 mln tons, Qatar 2.49 mln tons and Bahrain 1.65 mln tons.
North Africa recorded particularly strong growth, driven by Algeria. Algerian DRI production jumped 45.8pct to 6.7 mln tons, lifting the country to fourth place among the world’s largest DRI producers. The increase reflected the continued ramp-up of the second module at Tosyali Algerie. Egypt’s production declined 4.9pct to 6.1 mln tons, while Libya produced 1.75 mln tons.
The region is also set for further DRI capacity growth. As of December 2025, 11 MIDREX plants were under construction in Iran, while Jindal Steel Duqm was developing a 2.5 mln tons per year HYL-based DRI plant in Oman. A second 2.5 mln tons per year hydrogen-ready DRI module was also selected for Duqm. In Libya, TOSYALI SULB selected SMS and Midrex Technologies for the first phase of a project in the Benghazi region.
Globally, DRI production reached a fifth consecutive annual record of 151.0 mln tons in 2025, up 7.2pct from 140.8 mln tons in 2024. India remained the largest producer at 58.8 mln tons, followed by Iran at 37.2 mln tons. Together, the two countries accounted for more than 63pct of global output.