February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

Emirates Steel Arkan is the largest integrated steel and building materials manufacturer in the United Arab Emirates. Formed through the 2021 merger of Emirates Steel Industries and Arkan Building Materials, the company produces a wide range of steel products including rebar, wire rod, heavy sections, and sheet piling, as well as building materials such as concrete blocks and cement products. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the company is majority-owned by ADQ, one of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign holding companies, and serves both domestic construction markets and export destinations across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

UAE Context

Emirates Steel Arkan plays a strategically important role in the UAE’s industrial base by providing domestically manufactured steel for the country’s massive infrastructure and construction sectors. The company operates electric arc furnace technology, which enables it to recycle scrap metal and reduces its reliance on traditional blast furnace production. Emirates Steel has positioned itself at the forefront of green steel initiatives in the region, partnering with ADNOC to explore carbon capture utilization and storage technology and committing to reduce emissions intensity. The company’s Abu Dhabi production facilities have annual crude steel capacity of approximately 3.5 million tonnes.

Key Data

  • Formed: 2021 (merger of Emirates Steel Industries and Arkan)
  • Annual steel capacity: Approximately 3.5 million tonnes
  • Technology: Electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking
  • Owner: ADQ (majority shareholder)
  • Listed: Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
  • Headquarters: Abu Dhabi (Mussafah Industrial Area)

Significance for Vision 2031

Emirates Steel Arkan represents the UAE’s ambition to develop a competitive domestic industrial base that reduces dependence on imported materials. The company’s green steel initiatives and carbon reduction commitments align with Vision 2031’s sustainability objectives while demonstrating that heavy industry can be developed responsibly. By supplying locally produced steel to the construction and infrastructure boom, Emirates Steel supports the physical development that underpins the UAE’s broader economic transformation.

  • ADNOC - Energy partner in Emirates Steel’s carbon capture initiatives
  • Net Zero 2050 - Climate strategy driving green steel investments
  • EGA - Fellow Abu Dhabi industrial champion in metals production