The Middle East drilling rig transportation market size is projected to reach US$ 799.57 million by 2031 from US$ 526.72 million in 2024. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.28% during 2025–2031. Growing investments for natural gas production capacity expansion are likely to bring new key trends to the market in the coming years.
Investments in the oil and gas field prevail as one of the main factors driving the demand for drilling rig transportation services. The oil sector alone accounts for 40% of the total GDP in Saudi Arabia, whereas it accounts for 30% of the total GDP in the UAE. Such investments lead to new exploration and production projects in the region. In addition, increasing energy demand and rise in oil and gas field exploration activities across the region are anticipated to be the key driving factors in the market. Moreover, increasing investments in shale gas exploration and production is projected to be the key opportunity for the key players operating in the market.
Drilling rig transportation services play an important role in the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. These services are essential to ensure the efficient movement of onshore and offshore rigs from one site to another. The ecosystem begins with rig manufacturers, providers, and rental service providers. Rig manufacturers and providers such as ADES International Holding PLC, Arabian Drilling Company, Arabian Rig Manufacturing, ADES Holding, ADNOC Drilling, Lamprell, and Shelf Drilling provide drilling rigs and drilling services to end users. Apart from manufacturers, drill rental providers also play an important role in the ecosystem. Many oil and gas companies opt for rental services instead of purchasing the whole new equipment, which helps them minimize operational costs. NOV, SAB EST, Al Marwan Heavy Machinery, and Arabian Oilfield Supplies & Services are a few of the rig rental and drilling service providers in the Middle East.
The second node in the ecosystem is transportation. A few of the rig transportation companies in the Middle East are Gulf Haulage Rigmove (GH Holding Co.), Asateel Transportation, Abr Al Sahraa Company, Amirco, Golden Argo, Gulf Sanad General Contracting Est., SALEH AYED BALHARITH EST. (SAB), MOD Rig Move Co., Vortex Arabia, OFSAT Limited, OFSAT Saudia, ADNOC Drilling Company PJSC, Zararah Transporting and Maintenance Con, SMGT, AFEX, and Khalid Saeed Al Hajri Trading Company. During transportation to or from onshore sites, drilling rigs are disassembled and loaded on heavy trucks and trailers. On the other hand, they are loaded in heavy lift vessels and semi-submersible vessels when carrying to or from an offshore project. In offshore projects, road transportation is also used for the transportation of rigs from the manufacturer or rental service provider to the ports. Jebel Ali, Dammam, and Ras Laffan are a few of the notable ports in the Middle East, which handle cargo loading processes. For transferring rigs, port operators use heavy lift cranes and other material handling equipment. After the loading of cargo, the drilling rig is transported to the desired project site. After reaching the site, drilling rigs are then assembled for field operations.
The third and last node of the ecosystem is the end user. End users of drilling rig manufacturers are oil and gas companies such as Saudi Aramco, Qatar Petroleum, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Iraq National Oil Company, BP Plc, and Shell. Some of the drilling service providers operating in the region also provide oil production services to oil and gas companies across the globe. Thus, drilling service providers also serve as prominent end users in the ecosystem in addition to oil and gas companies.
The Middle East is one of the most hydrocarbon-rich regions across the globe. Exploration and production activities are on the rise across the region to maximize their potential. As a result, some of the largest economies in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait, are taking various initiatives to increase their production capacity, explore new oil and gas fields, and meet global energy demand. Government-owned companies such as Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company are investing heavily to expand their business and production activities. For instance, in July 2024, the government of Saudi Arabia announced the discovery of seven oil fields in the country’s Eastern Province. In April 2025, the government announced the discovery of another seven oil fields in the same area. In May 2024, Sharjah National Oil Corp. found new gas reserves in the Al Hadiba field, UAE. In September 2024, ADNOC announced a joint venture with two US-based companies to strengthen its position in unconventional drilling operations in the country. In October 2023, Iran’s Oil Minister revealed four new oil and gas fields in the country that added 2.6 billion barrels of oil to total country’s total reserves. In July 2024, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced the discovery of new oil fields in the Al-Nokhatha field. Such exploration activities involve the use of drilling rigs for traversing deeper offshore fields, border zones, and previously untapped reservoirs. Thus, drilling rigs capable of transporting goods through deserts and difficult terrains are in greater demand.
The shale gas industry in the Middle East is growing steadily owing to increased energy demands and economic diversification goals. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are exploring the shale gas industry to meet the global and domestic demand. Shale gas is viewed as one of the alternatives to reduce the high dependency on crude oil for domestic power generation. Shale gas is commonly adopted as an important feedstock for methanol, ammonia, and other petrochemical processing plants. The government of Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in the industrial sector as part of its Saudi Vision 2030 strategy. As industrialization in the Middle Eastern countries grows, the demand for efficient power generation fuels will increase. Thus, governments across the region are taking various initiatives to develop the shale gas infrastructure. For instance, in January 2025, the government of Iran announced an investment of US$ 100–120 billion to increase the oil and gas production capacity as a part of its Seven National Development Plan (2022–2026). In July 2024, Saudi Arabia announced plans to invest ~US$ 100 billion to become the world’s third-largest shale gas producer by 2030. In February 2025, Gordon Technologies subsidiary of ADNOC Drilling, announced its plans to expand its business across the region to tap into unconventional gas deposits. Thus, owing to such government and private company initiatives, the demand for drilling services for shale gas is expected to increase. This increased demand for drilling services is projected to expand drilling rig transportation services during the forecast period.
The key segments that contributed to the derivation of the Middle East drilling rig transportation market analysis are location and transportation mode.
The geographical scope of the drilling rig transportation market report offers a detailed country-level analysis in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is the major country witnessing significant growth in the drilling rig transportation market owing to the rise in demand for rig transportation in the region. In addition, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and the UAE are undertaking notable oil and gas capacity expansion projects. For instance, in April 2023, Baker Hughes announced a deal with QatarEnergy to provide equipment for the expansion of the North Field South (NFS) Project. The government is aiming to expand the country's capacity to 126 million tons per annum by 2027. Further, in June 2024, Saudi Aramco announced a new expansion contract for Jafurah Shale and the Master Gas System. The company invested US$ 25 billion to position Saudi Arabia as a top LNG-producing country by 2030. Further, BP Plc announced investments of US$ 25 billion in Iraq's Kirkuk oil and gas.
In addition, the government of Iraq is taking various initiatives to attract foreign direct investments in the oil sector. As a result, global oil and energy companies are undertaking geographical expansion activities in Iraq. In April 2024, United Energy Group Ltd announced the receiving of a contract to develop the Al-Faw oil field in Iraq. In addition, in May 2024, ZhenHua, Anton Oilfield Services, and Sinopec announced a new contract with the government of Iraq to develop the Abu Khaymah oilfield. Thus, owing to increased government investments and the entry of global players in the development of oil fields in the region, the demand for drilling services is expected to increase, which will subsequently drive the drilling rig transportation market during the forecast period.
The regional trends and factors influencing the Middle East Drilling Rig Transportation Market throughout the forecast period have been thoroughly explained by the analysts at Insight Partners. This section also discusses Middle East Drilling Rig Transportation Market segments and geography across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South and Central America.
| Report Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Market size in 2024 | US$ 526.72 Million |
| Market Size by 2031 | US$ 799.57 Million |
| Global CAGR (2025 - 2031) | 6.28% |
| Historical Data | 2021-2023 |
| Forecast period | 2025-2031 |
| Segments Covered |
By Location
|
| Regions and Countries Covered | Middle East
|
| Market leaders and key company profiles |
The Middle East Drilling Rig Transportation Market market is growing rapidly, driven by increasing end-user demand due to factors such as evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and greater awareness of the product's benefits. As demand rises, businesses are expanding their offerings, innovating to meet consumer needs, and capitalizing on emerging trends, which further fuels market growth.
Market players density refers to the distribution of firms or companies operating within a particular market or industry. It indicates how many competitors (market players) are present in a given market space relative to its size or total market value.
Major Companies operating in the Middle East Drilling Rig Transportation Market are:
Disclaimer: The companies listed above are not ranked in any particular order.
The "Middle East drilling Rig Transportation Market Size and Forecast (2021–2031)" report provides a detailed analysis of the market covering below areas:
Investments for natural gas production capacity expansion is expected to drive the growth of the Middle East drilling rig transportation market in the coming years.
The Middle East drilling rig transportation market was estimated to be valued at US$ 526.720 million in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 799.570 million by 2031 it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% during 2025–2031.
Rising energy needs and growing oil field exploration activities are the driving factor for the Middle East drilling rig transportation market
UAE is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR over the forecast period.
The Middle East drilling rig transportation market is expected to reach US$ 799.570 million by 2031.
The key players holding majority shares in the Middle East drilling rig transportation market include Arabian Drilling (OFSAT Arabia), ADNOC Drilling Company PJSC, OFSAT Limited, Mohammed Al-Jarrallah, and Zararah Transporting and Maintenance Company.