CANAM Asia has made giant strides in the regional market since it launched fabrication of steel decks for roofing and flooring two years ago, thanks to the competitive edge of these products and the expertise of the joint venture partners that set up the company.

General manager Maher Hajaij states that Canam Asia has an edge in the market because of its comprehensive range of steel construction products.
“Our product line comprises a wide variety of steel products such as open web joists, long-span roof trusses, the Hambro composite floor joist system and steel decks, both standard and composite, certified by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL),” he says.
“These products can be used for both short and long-span residential, commercial or industrial applications, meeting all building needs. Also, our products work equally well with steel and concrete structures. This flexibility makes our market very wide and meets the requirements of consultants and contractors who deal with all type of structures,” Hajaij adds.
The Dammam-based company is now hoping to further expand its reach in the region and hence will be at The Big 5 to present the advantages of Canam Asia’s construction methods to a Gulf-wide audience.
Canam Asia has seen both organic as well as physical growth in the past two years. This year, the company has added four new steel deck profiles to give its customers a wider choice of sections with thickness varying from 0.76 mm to 1.52 mm. The products are manufactured in its own plants to ensure consistent quality and are offered at a competitive price, he says.
Canam Asia’s development milestones are marked by mega projects in Saudi Arabia such as Sari Mall in Jeddah, a Sumitomo project in Rabigh, aircraft hangars in Jeddah and Riyadh, Dareen Mall in Dammam, besides many other important projects in the Gulf such as New Doha International Airport and the Al Faisal Tower, both in Qatar and the Dubai Airport and Millennium Centre, both in Dubai.
The company put its skills to the test in meeting the technical challenges of installing the aircraft hangars as a sub-contractor for Saudi Oger.
“Our engineers provided a complete and detailed fabrication design and a temporary bracing plan and assisted our fabricators to produce the supporting structure, connections and membrane surfaces of the aircraft hangar structure. A long-span truss can pose a greater risk to installers because the dimensions and weight of the truss itself can create instability leading to buckling and collapse of the truss if it is not handled, installed and braced properly. Long-span trusses require more detailed safety and handling measures,” he explains.
Canam Asia is now working on a major renovation project, involving 1,000 tonnes of steel members, which is scheduled to be completed at the end of this month (November).
Commenting on the market, Hajaij says the company has escaped the impact of the global slowdown by diversifying its business segments, and expects profit levels to remain on par with last year’s figures.
Hajaij is optimistic about the future, as he believes will be there is a “big need to develop real estate sector in Saudi Arabia”.
Canam Asia is a joint venture set up by Zamil Industrial (ZI) of Saudi Arabia and Steel Plus, an affiliate of the Canadian Canam Manac Group (CMG), in 2002. This tie-up pools together the expertise of ZI in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa with the reputation of CMG, a leading manufacturer of steel joists and structural steel components in North America and Europe.
“It combines the expertise of ZI and Steel Plus to develop complete and detailed fabrication designs that will help its fabricators and engineers to produce the best solutions,” he says.
The company – which has an industrial licence to manufacture steel joists – has production facilities in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The Saudi facility was set up in November 2002 and has a capacity of 14,000 tonnes of joists, while the UAE facility, established in January 2007, can produce 7,500 tonnes of metal decks per shift.