The Middle Eastern steel industry posted various multi-year records in 2017 in a dynamic year for the region. Saudi Arabia hiked long product exports, Iran grew iron ore production, and net scrap exporter UAE increased scrap imports.

Saudi Arabian longs exports surged 242% on-year in 2017 to 376,000 tonnes, according to newly-published worldsteel data. The kingdom removed in July 2017 a long-standing ban on billet and longs exports, giving mills the chance to offset sluggish domestic demand with shipments abroad.

Saudi exports of flats and tubular products, however, slumped -36% and -13% respectively from all-time highs in 2016 to 418,000t and 312,000t, worldsteel says in its Steel Statistical Yearbook 2018 monitored by Kallanish.

Iranian iron ore production grew 27% in 2017 to 55.09 million tonnes, an all-time high as the country commissioned and ramped up new direct reduced iron and steelmaking capacities. This was supported by a 22% rise in iron ore exports to 21.78mt as Iran took advantage of the removal of economic sanctions. Bahraini iron ore exports, meanwhile, surged to 6.73mt versus only 628,000t a year earlier, as pellet producer Bahrain Steel continued to ramp up output following earlier disruptions.

Qatari imports of iron ore surged 90% on-year in 2017 to 3.1mt, their highest since 2011, although crude steel output grew only 5% to 2.64mt. United Arab Emirates iron ore imports surged 71% to 3.9mt, an annual record, with crude steel output also growing by only 5% to 3.31mt. Bahrain iron ore imports rose 16% to 5.64mt and Saudi iron ore imports grew 1% to 6.69mt, their highest since 2011.

UAE scrap imports surged 140% to a record 125,000t in 2017, while scrap exports slipped -13% to 786,000t, their lowest level since 2009. Bahrain scrap exports surged 145% to a record 162,000t. Lebanese scrap exports surged 54% to 383,000t, their highest level since 2013.

UAE indirect exports of steel fell -9% in 2017 to 2.86mt, their lowest since 2011, while Saudi exports dropped -3% to 701,000t, their lowest since 2012. Indirect exports represent the amount of steel exported through trade in steel containing goods and are expressed in finished steel equivalent of products used.