SULB STEEL, DUBAI OFFICE

General information

SULB is a joint venture between Foulath and Japan-based Yamato Kogyo. SULB has two rolling mills, one in KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and one in Bahrain's Al-Hidd Industrial area and is a fully integrated producer from iron ore to finished steel products. The company boasts a strategic location, and its positive forecasts are further reinforced with cutting-edge technical know-how from Yamato Kogyo and shareholders who are among the region’s most reputable and committed investors.

Foulath represents a holding company and investment vehicle for metal industries across the Middle East region and is owned by a range of reputable partners in the GCC – who are Kuwait Foundry, Gulf Investment Corporation, Al-Kharafi Group and Qatar Steel. Foulath currently owns a 51 percent share of SULB.

Yamato Kogyo Co, SULB's second shareholder, owns the remaining 49 percent and has a history dating back to 1944. The company represents one of the world's leading beam and structural section producers. Yamato Kogyo Co has operations in Japan, Thailand, the USA and, more recently Bahrain. As a company, SULB has been supported by the combined expertise of these shareholders, and this has put it in a strong position as it pursues new opportunities for growth.”

The light to medium structural mill situated in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, previously known as UGS, became Saudi SULB following its acquisition by SULB in 2011, and boasts a production capacity of around 400,000 tons. Comprising a hot rolling medium and light section continuous mill, the facility utilizes steel billets supplied from SULB’s Bahrain-based facility, which is situated 150 km away in Bahrain's Al-Hidd Industrial Area. In Bahrain, SULB's facilities consist of a direct reduced iron (DRI) plant, a melt shop (MS) and a heavy & medium section rolling mill (HSM).

The KSA based SULB facilities can now benefit from in-house billet supply from our melt shop in Bahrain. The Heavy Section Mill in Bahrain will achieve 600,000 tons at full capacity. The combined structural steel capacity of our two facilities will ultimately be 1 million tons per annum.

SULB’s emphasis upon achieving a high level of integration has become the prominent feature of our business model. Through Foulath, SULB is supported by Bahrain Steel which produces iron ore pellets. These are supplied to SULB Bahrain and processed by our 1.5 million ton per year capacity DRI plant. Steel billets (supplied to Saudi SULB) are produced at a 1.0 mt/y (million metric tons per year) melt shop, before the structural steel is finally produced by the heavy section mill.

SULB is the only company in the GCC that has this level of integration. The facilities in Bahrain are now fully commissioned, with the project representing an investment of US$1.4 billion.

SULB’s in-house capabilities have enabled the company to develop an extensive product portfolio. H beams and I beams lie at the heart of the company's production, and are utilized by the construction sector for applications that range from bridges to high-rise structures. Additionally, Saudi SULB produces channels and equal angles which are used in the construction of pylons and electrical transmission and communication towers. SULB caters to stockists, fabricators and EPC (Engineering Procurement Contractors), who opt for our services due to the highly integrated nature of our facilities and the fact we are able to supply a comprehensive size range of steel structures in a timely manner.

SULB is located in a region experiencing some of the strongest demand for steel anywhere in the world. Furthermore, we have the capacity to supply the full product range required by the market, and also stand to gain from the fact that construction sector contractors in the Middle East are increasingly opting for steel sections as their primary construction method.

Like any leading steel producer, SULB has clearly defined policies and procedures in place to ensure that it maintains the highest quality standards, and both plants are ISO approved. Quality and above all safety are integral aspects of the business and are meticulously monitored.

These attributes coupled with a clear upsurge in demand from the steel sector throughout the Middle East means that SULB is bullish in its projections for growth. This is particularly true of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates where there is a high volume of projects presently on-going. Demand is increasing within the GCC and we also see excellent opportunities in the MENA region, such as Egypt, Algeria & Morocco.