The Arab Steel Summit 2009, organized by the Arab Iron and Steel Union in Abu Dhabi on April 12-14, was held in circumstances of dramatic transformations in the Arab and world steel industry and at a time of changing views as regards the steel industry's future. The summit was officially opened by the UAE Minister of Economy HE Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri at the Rotana Beach Hotel.
In his presentation at the summit, UK-based Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau operations director Steve Mackrell began by focusing on the importance of China in global crude steel production. Remarking that in the first two months of 2009 world crude steel production had decreased by 22.9 percent year on year, Mr Mackrell stated that the figure would have declined by 37.2 percent in China's absence.
Citing the Jan-Feb 2009 figures in order to stress China's important position in the steel industry, Mr. Mackrell said that during the period in question China posted 40.8 million mt of crude steel production, compared to total world crude steel production of 83.8 millon mt.
Steve Mackrell continued his presentation by discussing the main regional steel trade flows in 2008, especially with reference to the Middle East and North Africa. He stated that North Africa, including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia, registered 11.5 million mt of steel imports and 1.7 million mt of steel exports during the year in question, while the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, posted 36.7 million mt of steel imports and 600,000 mt of steel exports.
Mr. Mackrell detailed the main steel products exported to the Middle East and North Africa in 2008, with rebar accounting for 25 percent, semi-finished products totaling 23 percent, tubes at 12 percent, HR bars and profiles with 11 percent. On the other hand, Mr. Mackrell stressed that the main exporters to these regions were Turkey with 24 percent, EU-27 with 19 percent, China with 16 percent and Ukraine with 16 percent.