Middle East regional overview

For a number of years, there has been a large and growing amphetamine market in the Middle East, driven particularly by the Gulf countries. Seizure data indicate an expanding ATS market in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic. Reports of ATS manufacture in the Middle East suggest that ATS is being supplied by countries in the region. However, it remains difficult to assess the full extent of the demand for ATS in the region, due to a severe lack of data. Though “ecstasy” makes up a small fraction of the regional ATS market, use and seizure data in some countries suggest that there is a growing demand for these drugs as well.

Related Subject(s): Drugs Crime and Terrorism