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United Arab Emirates

By National Minerals Information Center

The United Arab Emirates was the world’s fifth-ranked producer of sulfur

Pictured: sulfur crystals

Statistics and information on the mining industry in the United Arab Emirates.

Overview

In 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the world’s fifth-ranked producer of aluminum and sulfur, accounting for 3.7% of the world’s aluminum smelter output and 7.5% of the world’s sulfur production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included alumina, cement, chromite, direct-reduced iron, lead, nitrogen (ammonia and urea), raw steel, steel products, and stone, sand and gravel. Production of mineral commodities including hydrocarbons contributed 22% to UAE’s gross domestic product. The country exported aluminum products to Germany, Japan, and the United States in 2024. 

Article 23 of the UAE Federal Constitution grants each Emirate ownership of and the ability to manage its mineral resources. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure oversees the mineral sector and provides services including monitoring mineral industry activities and managing the country’s mineral policies. Most mineral commodities were produced by domestic and foreign private companies. In 2024, the UAE was the world’s leading exporter of sulfur, and the country exported 5.1 million metric tons (Mt) of sulfur to Morocco, 1.7 Mt to China, and 0.9 Mt to Indonesia. In 2024, UAE’s imports of bauxite from Guinea Alumina Corp. of Guinea decreased to 10.8 Mt from 14.1 Mt in 2023, owing to an export suspension imposed by Guinea’s Government in October. 

 

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)1 was the world’s fifth-ranked producer of aluminum and sulfur, accounting for 3.7% of the world’s aluminum smelter output and 7.5% of the world’s sulfur production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included alumina, cement, chromite, direct-reduced iron, lead, nitrogen (ammonia and urea), raw steel, steel products, and stone, sand and gravel. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Production of mineral commodities including hydrocarbons contributed 22% to UAE’s gross domestic product. The country exported aluminum products to Germany, Japan, and the United States in 2024 (Emirates Global Aluminium, 2025, p. 12; United Arab Emirates Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, 2025; Merrill, 2026; Saloum, 2026). 

The UAE did not have a specific, comprehensive Federal law governing the mineral industry. Article 23 of the UAE Federal Constitution grants each Emirate ownership of and the ability to manage its mineral resources. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure oversees the mineral sector and provides services including monitoring mineral industry activities and managing the country’s mineral policies. Most mineral commodities were produced by domestic and foreign private companies. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and the Middle East, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/africa-and-middle-east. 

 

Commodity Review

Alumina and Aluminum.—Guinea Alumina Corp. (GAC) was Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)’s wholly owned bauxite-mining subsidiary in the northwest of the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. GAC was the primary provider of bauxite for EGA to produce alumina and aluminum in UAE. GAC’s mine had a production capacity of 12 million metric tons per year of bauxite, and about 400 million metric tons (Mt) of bauxite resources. In 2024, the mine’s exports of bauxite decreased to 10.8 Mt from 14.1 Mt in 2023, owing to an export suspension imposed by Guinea’s Government in October. This suspension occurred because GAC failed to build a local alumina refinery to process the bauxite domestically as scheduled (Production table; Al Sayegh, 2025; Emirates Global Aluminium, 2025, p. 11–12; undated; Fluor Corp., undated). 

Sulfur.—The UAE’s production of sulfur (S content) was estimated to be 6.3 Mt in 2024. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. was the primary producer of sulfur in the country. The company produced sulfur as a byproduct of the company’s gas processing activities, which was naturally found as hydrogen sulfide in petroleum and gas fields. In 2024, the UAE was the world’s leading exporter of sulfur. The exports were valued at \$1.1 billion. The country exported 5.1 Mt of sulfur to Morocco, 1.7 Mt to China, and 0.9 Mt to Indonesia (Production table; Observatory of Economic Complexity, The, undated; World Integrated Trade Solution, undated). 

 

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

Table includes data available through August 29, 2025. All data are reported unless otherwise noted. Estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits. In addition to the commodities listed, aluminum products, clays, refined copper, refined gold, gypsum, refined lead (primary), salt, sand and gravel, silica, refined silver, and crushed stone may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.
Commodity 20202021202220232024
Alumina1,920,0002,300,0002,430,0002,480,0002,540,000
Aluminum, primary, metal2,520,0002,540,0002,650,0002,660,0002,690,000
Cement, hydraulic11,520,00013,280,00013,400,000e13,400,000e13,400,000e
Chromium, mine, chromite ore62,41321,80020,000e63,000e60,000e
Direct-reduced iron2,961,4753,652,6093,446,4093,590,1493,485,546
Lead, refinery, secondary25,00025,00025,00030,00033,600
Lime470,000e480,000e490,000e490,000e490,000e
Nitrogen, ammonia, N content930,000e890,000e860,000e880,000e880,000e
Nitrogen, urea, N content900,000e840,000e810,000e890,000e890,000e
Raw steel2,722,0002,997,0003,211,4473,772,6653,720,908
Steel products, concrete-reinforcing bars1,800,0002,035,0002,147,0002,152,0002,259,000
Steel products, hot-rolled, long2,722,1483,022,4253,211,4513,237,1173,254,000
Sulfur, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum, S content5,500,0005,950,0006,105,0006,300,0006,300,000e
e Estimated.

 

References Cited  

  • Merrill, A.M., 2026, Aluminum: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 40–41. 
  • Saloum, H.S., 2026, Sulfur: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 182–183.  

 

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Tables: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017-18 | 2019 | 2020-21 | 2022 Tables-only release 

 

Africa and the Middle East Regional Summaries

Africa and the Middle East Regional Summaries

Commodity Statistics Homepage

Commodity Statistics Homepage

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