Construction boom to drive up growth in Middle East steel sector

Steel production, on the other hand, is projected to increase by nearly 70 % from 15.4 million tons in 2006 to over 26 million tons by 2010. This means that the region will continue to be a net importer of the product.

Currently, the demand for steel in the Middle East is growing at the rate of 9% per annum, a significant portion of which is driven by the region's rapidly expanding construction sector.

At present, the value of active construction projects just within the GCC region exceeds $1 trillion. Of this, Saudi Arabia accounts for more than $200bn, Kuwait over $211bn, and the UAE above $221bn.

Besides steel production, another industry within the sector that is experiencing a major boost due to the construction boom is Steel Working. Since the last few years, there has been a massive increase in demand for machinery, equipment, and consumables, from the industry.

Consistent with the growing demands of the regional steel working industry, the fourth edition of the SteelFab exhibition at Expo Centre Sharjah from January 21 - 23, 2008, will once again feature the Middle East's largest display of machinery, machine tools, welding equipment, supplies and consumables used in pre-treatment and post-treatment of steel, and ancillary equipment.

Organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE - the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and ancillary products, and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the coming edition of SteelFab will feature over 400 brands and companies from more than 25 countries.
It will occupy an exhibition area of 14,000 sq. m. and host exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), Turkey, UAE, UK and the USA among others.

On display at the exhibition will be machinery, equipment, products, services, and consumables related to surface preparation, blasting, galvanising, finishing and painting, steel machinery including metal forming, machine tools, and workshop machinery, grinding, cutting, power tools, tools, tooling for machinery, pipe construction equipment, tools, and orbital welding, software, services, training, testing, measurement, and NDT, welding and cutting including welding machines, and specialty welding, cutting systems including CNC - plasma, oxy fuel, laser, and water jet, and material handling including overhead cranes, hoists and trolleys.

"A large number of infrastructure and industrial development projects are currently underway in the Middle East region," said Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan, Advisor to the Chairman and Board of Directors of Expo Centre Sharjah.

"These developmental projects have no doubt to a very large extent contributed towards the unprecedented growth that the regional steel working industry is currently witnessing. Today, there is a massive demand for steel working machinery, equipment and consumables from across the Middle East. With no sign of any let up in infrastructure and industrial development in the region, it can only be assumed that the demand will further rise in the coming period. The fourth edition of SteelFab will once again play a key role in fulfilling the sourcing requirements of the regional steel working industry,"

he added.

Of the total number of brands that will be represented at SteelFab 2008, approximately 100 brands will be focused on steel machinery, 75 brands will be dedicated solely to welding and cutting, and over 50 brands will be dealing in surface preparation and finishing. The rest will be showcasing pipe construction and CNC cutting systems. Almost all the major manufacturers of structural steel fabrication machines will have an imposing presence at the event.

The 2008 edition of the SteelFab exhibition will be featuring several key attractions for the regional steel-working sector. Among them will be a dedicated hall for sheet metal manufacturing solutions that will feature AC duct manufacturing lines, Turret Punch Presses, cut to length lines, slit to length lines, coil handling machinery, and roll forming machines.

The live demonstrations of welding and CNC cutting on the sidelines are also bound to attract considerable attention. The concurrent product presentations, seminars, and the forums too with specific focus on the Middle East are expected to invite heavy attendance. Topics to be taken up for discussion during these gatherings will include Blasting, Welding, CNC Cutting technology, Software for structural design, structural steel and fabrication systems.

Besides hosting exhibitors in their individual capacities, SteelFab 2008 will feature a dedicated pavilion from Bavaria, Germany. The pavilion will be set up in association with Bayern International.

Given the unique profile, SteelFab 2008 is bound to attract key personnel and top decision makers from across the regional steel-working sector as visitors. Categories of visitors will include fabrication yard managers, production managers, QA/QC inspectors, field engineers, coating inspectors, general managers, procurement managers, estimators, planning and design engineers from the Middle East's Metalworking Industry, besides the entire supply chain of manufacturers, distributors, dealers, hardware and building material suppliers to small traders and importers.

"Over the last three editions, SteelFab has succeeded in not only establishing itself as a comprehensive sourcing avenue for the regional Steel Working industry but has also made its mark as an effective networking platform for the industry," said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"The coming edition of the event will once again be a one of its kind event in the Middle East that will bring together large numbers of key personnel from the regional Steel Working industry, and global manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of machine tools, machinery, consumables and other items related to the Steel Working business, on one platform," he added.

SteelFab 2008 will be colocating with the debut edition of SteelTech exhibition - a trade fair for the growing steel production industry in the Middle East. SteelTech will feature the complete range of technology, equipment and products for the Middle East-based steel production sector including steel producers, rolling mills, tube and pipe manufacturers, wire manufacturers, steel processors, and rebar manufacturers.

A major attraction of the SteelTech exhibition will be the Gulf Iron and Steel Conference that will be held alongside. The Conference, which will focus on the regional iron and steel sector, will be addressed by key players in the industry from across the globe. Among the participants at the event will be top decision makers from the regional iron and steel sector as well as technology providers, equipment manufacturers, and raw material suppliers to the industry.