AT The Big 5 show, Zamil Steel Industries will show its steely resolve in positioning itself as a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of pre-engineered buildings (PEBs).

The Saudi Arabian giant will showcase PEBs and their components, and open web steel joists and floor decking systems at the show, placing particular emphasis on promoting the use of PEBs to house malls and architectural buildings.
PEBs are commonly used as factories, warehouses, showrooms, sport centres, hypermarkets, sports enclosures, wedding halls, aircraft hangars, gas stations, car-parking shades and restaurants.
Over the past 32 years, Zamil Steel has grown from a local single-divisi­on company into a leader in the growing field of steel fabrication in Asia, Africa and Europe. The company’s sphere of activities has expanded to include design, manufacture and supply of conventional steel structures and process equipment, transmission and telecommunication towers, and open web steel joists and decking. The company is always on the look out for opportunities to enter into new markets through a direct presence or through certified builders.
Commenting on the company’s participation at The Big 5, Hatem Turki, marketing and business development manager, Zamil Steel Industries, PEB unit, says: “We have exhibited at The Big 5 in the past few years and we have gained considerable business opportunities through our participation.”
Through the premier event, Zamil Steel will be looking to increase the awareness of the advantages of using steel buildings in construction; promote its products to a concentration of decision-makers; and to position itself as a leading PEB supplier in the UAE market.
Business for the PEB expert has stabilised following the economic downturn that hit the entire market. “Of course, we have witnessed a drop in demand in some markets, but the diversity of our international markets compensates for this. We have seen many positive signs of an approaching recovery in our markets. Thus we hope that by the year-end, this sector will revive,” says Turki.
A sign of better things to come in the Saudi market is the fact that the company’s domestic market share has surpassed half of its total sales, and this is expected to increase by the year-end.
Established in 1977 in Dammam to design, manufacture and supply PEBs, Zamil Steel excels in engineering, manufacturing, sales and project management, and offers clients a diverse range of products from which to compile a total building solution. To maintain its leadership position, the company utilises state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing software and machinery in the design, estimating, shop detailing and manufacturing of each of its products. The company has a total staff strength of 3,190.
Its main factories are based in Dammam, while additional factories are located in Egypt, Vietnam, the UAE and India. More than 600 engineers are employed in its engineering departments in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Vietnam and India.
The overseas facilities have been part of its ongoing expansion strategy. In April last year, Zamil Steel officially inaugurated its second factory in Vietnam, at the Amata Industrial Park near Ho Chi Minh City in southern Dong Nai province. It also set up new production facilities in Pune, India, last November, which involved an investment of approximately SR120 million ($32 million). This state-of-the-art facility, built over an area of 87,000 sq m, can produce 30,000 tonnes of PEBs and other steel products per year, to meet the demands of Zamil Steel India’s domestic and export markets.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, a new continuous sandwich panel line has been set up in the Second Industrial City in Dammam and has started production recently. Zamil Steel’s commitment to service at the local level is proved by a network of 56 area offices located in 50 countries. These offices are well staffed and equipped to provide a quick and comprehensive response to customer inquiries, detailed quotations and proposal drawings and on-site support for ongoing projects, as well as extensive after-sales service.
They also export products to about 85 countries worldwide. The steel major also engages the services of a wide network of certified builders around the globe.
The company is currently involved in a number of projects which are under construction across the region, some of which include: the Princess Noora University and Ministry of Finance, both in Riyadh Obeikan Glass Factory in Yanbu, and Breidah Mall, all in Saudi Arabia; and a ceramic tiles factory and helicopter hangar building, both in Qatar.
About future prospects in the region, Turki says: “The Middle East in general and the GCC in particular need to develop their infrastructure and industries even further. Therefore, I see great potential for the construction sector in this region, especially in Saudi Arabia, which represents the largest economy with the greatest need for sustained development for the coming decade.”
Zamil Steel will be exhibiting at Stand 8A332 at The Big 5.