Iraq ranked fifth among Arab countries importing Chinese solar panels in 2025, according to Washington-based energy research group ATTAQA.
The big story? Iraq’s imports surged.
The country jumped from just 0.43 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 to 1.89 GW in 2025. That’s more than four times higher in just one year.
Across the region, the top 10 Arab countries imported a total of 29.07 GW of Chinese solar panels in 2025. That’s up from 27.34 GW in 2024 — an increase of 1.73 GW year-on-year.
The United Arab Emirates led the region, importing 9.54 GW. Saudi Arabia followed with 8.82 GW. Egypt came next at 2.28 GW.
Algeria imported 2.10 GW, placing it fourth. Iraq followed in fifth place with 1.89 GW.
The rest of the list included Morocco (1 GW), Yemen (0.97 GW), Oman (0.95 GW), Jordan (0.94 GW), and Lebanon (0.58 GW).
Despite the jump in solar imports, renewable energy still makes up only a small part of Iraq’s electricity supply.
According to the Iraqi Economic Observatory (Eco Iraq), the country spent about 5.6 trillion Iraqi dinars on electricity production in 2025. Yet renewables account for only around 2% of total power generation.
To encourage growth in the sector, the Central Bank of Iraq has been offering households loans of up to 30 million dinars — roughly $20,400 — with low or zero interest and minimal fees. The aim is to help families install solar systems.
Last year, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani also directed authorities to allocate land for solar projects in Baghdad. The move is part of broader efforts to prepare the country’s power sector for the heavy electricity demand expected in summer 2026.
Iraq is clearly moving toward solar energy — but it still has a long way to go before renewables play a major role in keeping the lights on.
