EVENT PREVIEW
Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’ s Industry-4.0 agenda, signalling a shift towards smarter, more efficient steel fabrication processes,” concluded the report.
Key show features
Surface Preparation and Finishing focus area
“ The fabrication industry is one of the major customers for the coatings industry. Any fabrication job is incomplete until suitably coated either through painting, powder coating, galvanizing or eCoating. The entire process of finishing from blasting, cleaning, deburring, painting and coating will be in focus at SteelFab 2026,” said the show organiser.
This special focus area will highlight the latest surface finishing and coatings technologies for the region’ s needs. This will include nano, anti-corrosion and surfacecoating technology.
Structural steel fabrication industry
The GCC structural steel fabrication market is growing due to infrastructure projects and urbanisation in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. Prefabrication and smart technologies boost demand, aligning with economic diversification goals, despite challenges like fluctuating raw material prices and a reliance on imports. The‘ GCC Structural Steel Fabrication Market’ was valued at US $ 10.11 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach US $ 13.79- billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 5.15 %, according to ResearchandMarkets. com.
“ Structural steel fabrication, essential for producing components used in high-loadbearing structures, is seeing robust demand in the GCC due to extensive infrastructure developments. The region’ s ongoing urbanisation, coupled with mega-projects in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, is boosting the need for prefabricated steel components. Structural steel’ s strength, adaptability and eco-friendliness make it a favoured material in commercial, industrial and residential construction. The shift towards prefabrication and smart technologies in construction further supports the market’ s growth, aligning with the GCC’ s economic diversification and sustainability goals,” said the report.
“ The construction sector across GCC countries is a key catalyst for the structural steel fabrication market, fuelled by largescale investments in infrastructure as part of economic diversification efforts. Major initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030 and infrastructure-driven events like Dubai Expo and the FIFA World Cup have spurred the demand for steel structures in residential, commercial and industrial developments. Projects like NEOM, Qiddiya and the Red Sea Development are examples where structural steel plays a pivotal role in modern, sustainable construction,” it added.
However, it also pointed out that volatility in steel prices presents a significant hurdle for the structural steel fabrication market in the GCC. Limited domestic steel production necessitates imports, exposing the market to global supply chain disruptions, tariffs and currency fluctuations.
“ Advanced technologies are transforming the structural steel fabrication landscape in the GCC. Firms are integrating CAD, CAM and BIM systems to enhance design accuracy and coordination, minimising rework and accelerating timelines. Automation( through robotic welding, CNC machining and lasercutting) is boosting production efficiency and reducing reliance on manual labour, which is increasingly expensive in the region. IoT integration for process monitoring and predictive maintenance is also gaining traction, contributing to quality assurance and operational reliability. These innovations align with regional development visions like
As well as the special focus areas, SteelFab 2026 will also feature a welding competition( sponsored by ESAB. The fifth edition of the‘ Best Welder’ competition is designed to honour welding talent and offer a platform for welding professionals to demonstrate their skills and talent, as well as compete for excellence awards. Interested parties can register for the competition on
www. steelfabme. com / welding-competition. html Overseas pavilions, seminars / technical presentations, live displays and a dedicated vertical for the fastener and fixing industry( Fasteners World Middle East) will also be held at SteelFab 2026. The event will also focus on the software and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence( AI) as well as the move towards sustainability, that are helping to shaping the future of the sheet-metal processing industry.
Previous winners of SteelFab’ s welding competition.
“ Now, with the UAE government adopting policies to speed up digital transformation of the industrial sector in the country, SteelFab can help regional players to develop the digital capabilities that would help them gain an edge in a hypercompetitive market. In manufacturing, the range of opportunities for digital transformation is tremendous and utilises AI tools, data lakes, new connectivity standards, advanced analytics and robotics besides people, processes and things,” commented Expo Centre Sharjah.
“ With the latest technological advances( such as IoT and automation), the metal fabrication industry is undergoing rapid changes. From product research and development, quality assurance and everything in between, technological advances are changing the manufacturing process. Smart sensors, immersive technology gadgets, sustainable materials and green energy sources are being embraced widely,” it added. n
www. steelfabme. com
40 | ismr. net | ISMR November 2025