Middle East and North Africa Photogrammetry Market

Overview

Middle East and North Africa Photogrammetry Market reached US$ 192.4 million in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 518.8 million by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 13.2% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

Despite pivoting away from oil and gas, many middle eastern countries are actually upgrading energy infrastructure, in order to drive the growth of value added products. The development of new gas liquefaction plants, petrochemical and fertilizer plants will boost the industrial demand for photogrammetry during the medium and long term.

Growing security challenges could jeopardize the growth of the photogrammetry market during the forecast period. Stray drone attacks by non-state actors have become more frequent in recent years. It could led to a further tightening of security restrictions and hamper the adoption of photogrammetry.

Dynamics

Rise in New Archeological Discoveries

Although Egypt has long been the center of archeology in the middle east, the past few decades have witnessed a growth in archeological excavations in Iraq, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE. The advent of new mapping tools has given further impetus to the excavations, leading to significant new archeological discoveries.

In November 2022, archeologists discovered the remains of an ancient christian monastery on the Siniyah island, just off the coast of UAE. Furthermore, in May 2023, using Google Earth along with photogrammetry tools, archeologists discovered a Roman military camp at a remote site in northwestern Saudi Arabia, on the border with Jordan. The ongoing spurt of new archeological discoveries will further augment demand for photogrammetry services in the region.

Growth of the Local Tourism Industry

Many middle eastern countries are looking to emulate UAE's economic model of attracting international tourism to diversify away from energy as a major source of foreign currency earnings. To achieve this, countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in developing tourism infrastructure.

Sports-based tourism has witnessed a major increase, particularly in light of the 2022 football world cup which was hosted by Qatar. In October 2023, Saudi Arabia won the right to host the 2034 football world cup. The country has pledged to invest significant capital in developing supporting infrastructure. The growing popularity of sports-based tourism will significantly increase demand for photogrammetry during the forecast period.

Stringent Government Security Rules

Given the volatile security situation in the middle east, including a recent surge in FPV drone attacks, many middle eastern governments have enacted strict regulations for drone usage. Many urban zones are completely off-limits for drones and flying objects. Furthermore, many countries do not permit foreign nationals to operate drones and do not recognize foreign drone licenses.

Even UAE, which has some of the most liberal drone laws, requires prior registration of drones and also places other types of restrictions with regards to drone classification, flying area and height. Since drones have become the primary medium for carrying out photogrammetry, restrictive government regulations hamper its wider adoption and constraint further growth of the market.

Segment Analysis

The Middle East and north Africa photogrammetry market is segmented based on type, method, application, end-user and country.

Multi-Camera Photogrammetry Garners a Large Market Share

Multi-camera photogrammetry provides the most intricate and detailed images. With the advent of drone photography, multi-camera photogrammetry has exploded in popularity and has become the standard for photogrammetry, whereas other methods are mostly utilized for more niche applications.

Although video to photogrammetry can produce more detailed rendering, it is relatively more expensive and requires more technical proficiency for correct execution. It is mainly used for detailed mapping of historical and archeological sites. Multi-camera photogrammetry continues to remain the default choice across most sectors.

Geographical Penetration

Spate of Ongoing Construction Will Augment Market in UAE

The UAE has been highly successful in reorienting its economy away from oil and gas and towards tourism, travel, trade and technology. According to data released by UAE government, non-oil foreign trade reached a record AED 1.239 trillion (US$ 337.3 billion) in Q1 2023, representing an increase of 14.4% over the previous year.

The UAE is also undertaking massive construction of tourism and trade-related infrastructure, to further boost its non-oil economy and cement its position as a leading regional economic power. For instance, UAE is currently constructing the Tilal Al Ghaf, a mixed-use urban space in Dubai, which is scheduled for completion by 2027. The ongoing spurt of construction will further augment demand for photogrammetry services in UAE during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic created various opportunities as well as challenges for the middle east and north Africa photogrammetry market. Many construction projects were halted or suspended due to lack of labor availability as well as economic uncertainty. It led to a significant decrease in demand for photogrammetry services. However, healthcare-related construction saw a major jump in demand during the pandemic period.

The post-pandemic period has led to a surge in investment in real estate and energy infrastructure. It has led to the gradual recovery of demand for photogrammetry services and the market is poised for significant growth during the medium and long term as new public infrastructure projects are undertaken.

Russia-Ukraine War Impact Analysis

The Russia-Ukraine war has led to a major influx of capital from wealthy Russian citizens into middle eastern countries, especially UAE. Most of the capital has been parked in luxury real estate projects. It has further boosted the demand for luxury real estate and new projects are being developed in order to cater to this fast growing demand. Such projects will continue to generate significant demand for photogrammetry services.

With the disruption of Russian energy, European countries have been forced to look towards middle eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar for filling the gap. Both the countries are undertaking major expansion of energy handling and storage infrastructure in order to increase exports. It has given a further impetus to demand for photogrammetry in the region.

By Type

• Aerial Photogrammetry
• Terrestrial Photogrammetry
• Satellite Photogrammetry
• Macro Photogrammetry

By Method

• Point-and-Shoot Photogrammetry
• Multi-Camera Photogrammetry
• Video-to-Photogrammetry

By Application

• Culture Heritage and Museum
• Films and Games
• Topographic Maps
• Traffic Management System
• 3D Printing
• Drones and Robots
• Others

By End-User

• Building and Construction
• Automotive
• Energy & Power
• Shipbuilding
• Others

By Country

• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Oman
• Bahrain
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Rest of Middle East and North Africa

Key Developments

• In November 2023, EDGE group, a UAE-based drone manufactured unveiled a series of new dual-use drones intended for combat operations in the military as well as aerial surveillance and photogrammetry in civilian applications.
• In October 2023, 3DFlow, an Italian-based developer of photogrammetry software, released an updated version of its flagship 3D Zephyr software.

Competitive Landscape

The major global players in the market include Pix4D SA, 3Dflow SRL, Vexcel Imaging GmBH, Trimble Inc., Hexagon AB, Autodesk Inc., DroneDeploy, Magnasoft, Menci Software Srl and Linearis3D GmbH & Co.KG.

Why Purchase the Report?

• To visualize the MENA Photogrammetry Market segmentation based on type, method, application, end-user and country, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous data points of pouch tapes market-level with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The Middle East and North Africa Photogrammetry Market report would provide approximately 44 tables, 46 figures and 152 Pages.

Target Audience 2024

• Satellite Imaging Companies
• Military Contractors
• Infrastructure Engineers
• Government Agencies
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals