Photovoltaic exports surge 470%! The Middle East suddenly explodes.
March 31, 2026
Today is March 26, 2026, less than a week from the end of the first quarter of this year. But for the photovoltaic industry, this start to the year is more than just a simple good beginning; it's like flooring the gas pedal. In the past two days, a set of data has spread rapidly within the industry, even causing quite a stir. Data from some organizations shows that in the first quarter of this year, China's exports of solar panels to the Middle East surged by 470% year-on-year, while energy storage systems saw an even more dramatic increase of 620%. Even more intriguing is that over 90% of these orders are long-term contracts of three years or more. What does this mean? It's not simply about selling more goods; it's about a shift in the order structure, moving from short-term bargaining to long-term commitments. More importantly, all of this is happening at a delicate juncture. On one hand, trade barriers in the European and American markets are constantly being tightened, with policy thresholds rising at every level; on the other hand, the Middle Eastern market is suddenly experiencing a surge in demand. The Middle East, once known for its oil, is now re-entering the global energy landscape in a different way. This raises the question: is this surge in Middle Eastern demand merely a temporary opportunity arising from geopolitical turmoil, or is it a genuine shift in the focus of China's photovoltaic (PV) exports? 01. Why the Middle East? This Demand Surge Wasn't Sudden While March's customs data hasn't been officially released, the trends of the previous two months already offer some clues. Chinese customs data shows that in January and February 2026, the national export value of PV modules was 22.48 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 9.26%; the total export volume was 72.0777 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 3.42%. Overall, PV exports haven't seen significant growth, and have even experienced a slight decline. But the real change lies in the structure. The Middle East and North Africa market's share has quietly risen to 25.6%, becoming the second largest export region after Europe. In other words, it's not that more are being sold, but rather that the destination has changed significantly. If we add the industry dynamics of March, this trend becomes even clearer. China Power Construction Corporation (China Power) secured a major contract in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for 2.1GW of solar PV and 7.75GWh of energy storage, worth approximately RMB 13.962 billion. This means that the growth of the Middle East solar PV market is not a random fluctuation, but a concentrated manifestation of a trend. Then the question arises: why now? And why the Middle East? If we break it down, this surge in demand is driven by at least three forces simultaneously. The first is policy. Middle Eastern countries are accelerating their energy transition. Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" aims to reach 100-130GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with clean energ...