Iraq ranks fifth in Arab solar panel imports from China

Iraq emerged as the fifth-largest among Arab countries importing Chinese solar panels in 2025, the Washington-based ATTAQA, an energy research group, reported on Sunday, adding that Iraq recorded a substantial growth in imports, jumping from 0.43 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 to 1.89 GW in 2025.
The top 10 Arab importers of Chinese solar panels collectively raised their capacity to 29.07 gigawatts (GW) in 2025, up from 27.34 GW in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 1.73 GW, according to the Washington-based energy research group ATTAQA.
Leading the region, the United Arab Emirates imported 9.54 GW of Chinese solar panels last year, followed by Saudi Arabia with 8.82 GW and Egypt with 2.28 GW. Other countries included Algeria at 2.10 GW, Iraq at 1.89 GW, Morocco at 1 GW, Yemen at 0.97 GW, Oman at 0.95 GW, Jordan at 0.94 GW, and Lebanon at 0.58 GW.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Economic Observatory, Eco Iraq, reported on December 13, 2025, that the country’s electricity production cost reached 5.6 trillion Iraqi dinars, while renewable energy contributes only around 2% of total generation. The Central Bank of Iraq has supported growth in the sector by offering households loans of up to 30 million dinars (approximately $20,400) at low or zero interest, with minimal administrative fees.
Last year, caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani directed the allocation of land for solar energy projects in Baghdad during a meeting focused on smart solutions for renewable energy management, in preparation for summer 2026.