In
co-operation with Qatar Steel Company and under the patronage of
H.E. Mr. Youssef Hussein Kamal, Minister of Finance and Acting
Minister of Economy and Trade, the Arab Iron and Steel Union
organized the 8th International Arab Iron and Steel Conference
in the period 17 – 20 March 2008, in which about 183 companies
from 42 Arab and foreign countries and more than 300
participants representing economic and industrial activities,
steel industry leaders, businessmen, investors and experts in
the field of this industry participated in this conference.
During this conference 30 working papers were presented by
strategic analysts and experts from Belgium, USA, Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Germany, Qatar, UAE, Algeria, UK, Switzerland, Libya,
Italy, India, France, Syria, Australia, Nigeria, China and
Ukraine.
The topics which were presented in the conference discussed a
number of issues concerning the steel industry and the allied
industries such as, the challenges facing the Arab and world
steel industry, oil and steel, the best-placed oasis of the
Middle East for the new fast growing steel world, the innovative
solutions for the challenges of energy and resources, the era of
alliances in the steel industry, a call for establishing a joint
Arab activity in the steel field.
The
presented working papers also discussed the growth strategies
in a number of Arab countries : Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Algeria,
Egypt. They also discussed the steel industry in the Middle
East,in addition to China and Nigeria as well as the
international and regional trends in the steel trade, using the
futures contracts, the modern steel technologies, and the raw
materials in the steel industry, in addition to a number of
other steel market related topics. Twelve companies participated
in the sponsorship of this conference; they are : Qatar Steel
Company, (Qatar), Hadeed SABIC ( Saudi Arabia ), Ezz Steel (
Egypt ), United Gulf Steel Limited ( Saudi Arabia ), Al-Rajhi
Steel ( Saudi Arabia ), Libyan Iron and Steel Company ( Libya ),
SMS Metallurgy ( Germany ) SGL Carbon GmbH ( Germany ), Maghreb
Steel ( Morocco ), SONASID ( Morocco ), the Syrian Iron and
Steel Company ( Syria ).
Holding
this conference coincided with setting up the Steel Industries
Exhibition in which several Arab and world companies
participate. This exhibition will continue over two days during
which the companies will exhibit their products and their latest
innovations in this field.
Participants conclude the activities of this conference by
paying a visit to Qatar Steel Company on the 20th of this month.
It is worth noting that this conference is organized regularly
by the Arab Iron and Steel Union. The last conference was
organized by the Union in Muscat/ Sultanate of Oman in 2007.
In
this conference more than 300 participants participated. The
Union intends to organize its next conference in Abu Dhabi,
Arab United Emirates, in March 2009.
