Review of National Asphalt Programs Across the Middle East in Late December 2025

According to WPB, In the final days of December 2025, national asphalt programs across the Middle East continued to progress through execution, allocation, and maintenance phases, despite limited headline visibility. For the region, where road infrastructure underpins logistics, energy transport, and urban development, the period between December 25 and December 28 marked not a slowdown but a consolidation stage in which asphalt works already approved and financed moved forward under existing frameworks. The global relevance of this phase lies in the Middle East’s role as both a major bitumen producer and a high-volume consumer. Decisions taken during this window influenced bitumen flows not only within domestic markets but also across export-linked supply chains feeding Africa, South Asia, and parts of Central Asia.

Across the Middle East, national road authorities operate under multi-year infrastructure plans that are implemented through annual execution schedules. By late December, most countries had already finalized their 2025 asphalt programs, shifting attention toward completion, quality verification, and preparation for early-2026 works. During this period, asphalt activities focused primarily on resurfacing, rehabilitation of strategic corridors, and municipal road maintenance rather than new greenfield highways. These works are bitumen-intensive and rely heavily on stable binder supply, controlled storage conditions, and uninterrupted transport from refineries and terminals to asphalt plants.

In the Gulf Cooperation Council states, asphalt operations during the final week of December reflected the culmination of annual maintenance cycles. In Saudi Arabia, national road maintenance packages covering intercity routes and access roads to industrial zones remained active under previously awarded contracts. These packages involved large-scale resurfacing and structural overlays, consuming significant volumes of penetration grade and modified bitumen. Although no new national announcements were issued in this period, execution data indicate that asphalt plants supplying these contracts continued operating to meet contractual quantities before year-end closeout.

The United Arab Emirates followed a similar pattern. Federal and emirate-level road authorities maintained ongoing asphalt rehabilitation programs focused on arterial roads, logistics corridors, and urban connectors. These projects prioritized durability under high thermal stress, reinforcing the use of performance-graded and polymer-modified binders in critical sections. Bitumen demand during this window was driven by scheduled paving activities rather than new project mobilization, underscoring how consumption can remain strong even in the absence of public project launches.

In Qatar, municipal and national entities continued asphalt resurfacing and maintenance across urban and suburban networks. These activities were publicly visible primarily through execution notices rather than project announcements, yet they represented direct and measurable bitumen consumption. The focus remained on surface renewal and localized structural strengthening, both of which require consistent binder quality and tight control over application temperatures. The continuation of these works during the late-December period highlights the operational priority given to road condition management ahead of the new year.

Kuwait and Oman also maintained asphalt works under existing national programs. In Kuwait, road rehabilitation contracts awarded earlier in the year continued into late December, emphasizing surface treatments and overlay applications on heavily trafficked routes. These operations relied on steady deliveries of conventional paving grade bitumen from domestic refining capacity. In Oman, asphalt maintenance and selective upgrading of regional roads progressed under government-funded programs, with bitumen supplied through established procurement channels designed to support year-round execution.

Beyond the Gulf, Middle Eastern countries with mixed domestic production and import reliance also demonstrated continuity in asphalt programs. In Iraq, national and provincial road authorities advanced asphalt work focused on post-rehabilitation corridors and urban road improvements. These projects are particularly sensitive to bitumen availability due to storage and transport constraints. During the late-December period, execution relied on bitumen already allocated under government programs, reinforcing the importance of early planning in markets with complex logistics.

In Jordan, asphalt maintenance and municipal road resurfacing continued under budgeted programs aimed at preserving network condition rather than expansion. These works typically consume moderate volumes of bitumen but are critical for traffic safety and asset preservation. The execution focus during this period underscored the role of routine asphalt works in stabilizing demand for bitumen in smaller markets.

Egypt presents a distinct case within the region. National road development programs are large in scale, but by late December 2025, most new construction phases had transitioned into completion or maintenance stages. Asphalt works during this period centered on overlays, service roads, and access routes connected to logistics and industrial areas. Bitumen consumption reflected these priorities, with emphasis on consistency and compliance rather than experimental applications.

Across the Levant, including Lebanon, asphalt activity during the final days of December was limited to maintenance and emergency repairs under constrained budgets. Even so, these activities required secure bitumen sourcing, often through imports, highlighting how even low-profile asphalt works maintain strategic importance for national mobility.

From a technical standpoint, the late-December execution phase across the Middle East placed heightened emphasis on bitumen handling and quality assurance. Asphalt works carried out at this time of year must account for temperature variations and reduced daylight hours, factors that directly influence binder performance during mixing and laying. Road authorities and contractors therefore relied on established specifications and proven binder grades rather than introducing new formulations. This conservative approach supports execution reliability and minimizes risk during a period when administrative support structures may be operating at reduced capacity.

Bitumen logistics played a central role in sustaining these programs. Refinery supply schedules, terminal heating systems, and tanker availability were aligned with confirmed paving activities rather than speculative demand. This alignment reflects a mature market behavior in which bitumen flows are governed by execution certainty rather than announcement cycles. For exporters within the region, particularly those supplying neighboring markets, maintaining domestic commitments during this window took precedence over opportunistic spot movements.

The cumulative picture that emerges from recent days of December is one of operational continuity across national asphalt programs in the Middle East. While public communication remained limited, the execution of asphalt works demonstrated that bitumen consumption remained embedded in routine infrastructure delivery. The absence of new project announcements during this period did not disrupt supply chains or halt paving operations. Instead, it highlighted the degree to which regional asphalt programs rely on stable, pre-planned bitumen deployment rather than reactive decision-making.

For the global bitumen market, this period reinforced the Middle East’s dual role as supplier and consumer. Domestic asphalt execution absorbed significant volumes that might otherwise be available for export, influencing regional trade balances at year-end. For international stakeholders, understanding this operational reality is essential for interpreting market signals accurately.

In summary, the late-December window of 2025 provided a clear view into how national asphalt programs across the Middle East function beyond headline announcements. Execution continued across Gulf states, Iraq, Egypt, and the Levant through maintenance, resurfacing, and rehabilitation works that are inherently bitumen-intensive. These activities confirmed that bitumen remains a foundational input in regional infrastructure systems, with demand driven by operational schedules rather than media visibility. For industry observers, the lesson is straightforward: meaningful insight into Middle Eastern asphalt programs comes from tracking execution and bitumen deployment, not from the volume of public announcements alone.

By WPB

News, Bitumen, Asphalt, National Asphalt, Middle East