Our journey: A history of looking to the future

The story of EMSTEEL’s creation is inextricably linked to the long-term economic plans and vision of the Abu Dhabi Government over 20 years ago.

In 1998, the General Holding Corporation (SENAAT), as it was previously known, took an active role in assisting the Government’s efforts to diversify the country’s economy. Fundamental to this goal was the desire to establish an industrial steel sector that would run in parallel with a growth strategy for other commodities aimed to facilitate an engineering and construction boom in the UAE. In conjunction with Abu Dhabi’s downstream private sector investments, SENAAT established a robust upstream steel business formed from one of its existing businesses called Emirates Iron and Steel Factory (EISF), located in Abu Dhabi’s Industrial City.

EISF was the stepping-stone for Emirates Steel’s humble beginnings. The company’s primary business of rerolling imported steel billets and producing rebar for the UAE market had insufficient capacity to meet the growing demands for quality steel products regionally or globally. It was not until October 2001 that the company commissioned its own dedicated rolling mill, named RM1,kickstarting a new phase in the Company’s steel production capabilities and laying the foundation for Emirates Steel today.

The commissioning of RM1 was a proud achievement for Emirates Steel. Its capacity of 500,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) changed the course of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s steel industry. Since its commissioning, we have carried out constant improvement initiatives, optimized production planning measures and made ample technical modifications to improve RM1’s capacity, resulting in substantial improvements in the Company’s  steel manufacturing ability. This has put Emirate Steel on the world map as a leading steel manufacturer across domestic and international markets.

Meanwhile, the Emirates Cement Factory, which was established in 1976 in Al Ain city, near the Hafeet mountain, had become the largest cement manufacturer in the UAE supplying its products and services across Abu Dhabi. In 2006, Arkan initiatedconstructions works to build the Al Ain Cement Factory, with constructions works commencing in July 2007. By 2012, load commissioning had startedand by 2014, the Dh1.3 billioncement factory was up and running with a capacity for 4m MT clinker and 5.7 MT cement per annum. This would kickstart the start Arkan’s journey as the leading publicly listed cement manufacturer in the region.

Our expansion program: setting new goals for the future

In a short period of time, Emirates Steel has gone from an imported steel rerolling business to becoming the only full-fledged integrated steel manufacturing facility in the UAE.Our resilient business model has been instrumental in this success. Our business methodology and expansion plans have not only helped us add value to our business but have helped us carve a niche for ourselves in the global steel manufacturing industry.

The direction in which we have maneuvered our business has enabled us to stand out as one of the few domestic steel manufacturers with a diverse portfolio of products and solutions-based expertise, including rebar in straight and coil forms, wire rods, sections, sheet piles and semi-finished products, such as billets and direct reduced iron.

The strategic ambitions of the Abu Dhabi Government have played a vital role in shaping the commercial and reputational growth of Emirates Steel.

Our milestones: key dates that have shaped our future

Over the past 20 years, our corporate values of perseverance, insight and innovation have helped position and establish our company, both within the Middle East and wider International Steel Industry, as a key industry player.