Our Policy Briefs and Papers
Policy Briefs
Navigating CBAM:
Towards a Balanced Readinessfor MENA’S Iron
and Steel Sector
6 January 2026
As carbon pricing increasingly shapes access to EU markets, the MENA region’s iron and steel sector faces a new strategic reality. Strong trade ties with Europe and uneven emissions intensity heighten exposure, but this does not automatically translate into disadvantage. The region enters this phase with important structural strengths, including leadership in direct reduced iron production and viable pathways toward lower-carbon steelmaking. A balanced response—combining engagement, proactive adaptation, mitigation, and dialogue—can help manage near-term risks while positioning the sector for long-term competitiveness in emerging green industrial value chains.
From Transactions to Strategic Partnerships:
China’s Expanding Green Engagement in Gulf States
26 November 2025
China–Gulf relations are shifting from transactional energy trade to a strategic partnership grounded in shared decarbonization and diversification goals. Expanding cooperation in renewables, green manufacturing, and industrial development reflects deeper structural changes in both economies. Yet growing technological dependence, CBAM-related trade pressures, and US–China rivalry pose vulnerabilities that require deliberate, regionally coordinated management.
Policy Papers
Leveraging Green Trade:
The MENA Region’s Opportunity in the Global Green Iron and Steel Market
23 September 2025
The MENA region has a unique chance to lead the global green iron trade, building on its dominant Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production, abundant low-cost renewables, and central geography. With the EU’s CBAM set to reshape market dynamics, success will depend on credible certification, integrated value chains, and hydrogen ramp-up, alongside diversified export corridors to Europe and Asia that secure both competitiveness and long-term industrial growth.