Danube Building Materials FZCO has said it plans to invest Dh40 million ($10.8 million) in Bahrain’s steel market.

“Bahrain continues to be one of the key markets for steel, given its burgeoning steel imports to feed huge consumption, and we believe that the presence of a dedicated steel facility in the country gives us a definite advantage for supplying this market,” said Rizwan Sajan, chairman of Jebel Ali Free Zone-based Danube.
 “Through this investment, we are expecting to facilitate a steady supply of the most in-demand steel products for use in the construction of current projects in the kingdom as well as in neighbouring countries.”
Danube plans to establish a cut and bend facility which will address the requirements of large projects in Bahrain. The facility will be built on a 250,000 sq ft plot in the industrial area of Salmabad and host the company’s steel products.
The Bahrain investment is part of several Danube initiatives within the UAE and abroad. It quotes studies to show that the Middle East steel trade is anticipated to make more than $50 billion from projects currently underway and an additional $150 billion from new schemes in the pipeline.
In addition to Bahrain, Danube is investing Dh50 million in a new steel facility in Oman and Dh200 million in the UAE steel industry.
The company is also setting up a Dh50 million plant in the Sharjah Industrial Area  to manufacture gypsum ceiling tiles and accessories under the brand name Bruserstang.
In addition, it is investing Dh50 million for the manufacture of aluminum and glass products.
Danube is one of the largest building suppliers in the region with an extensive portfolio of 10,000 selections ranging from MDF, plywood, timber, laminates and veneers to sanitary fittings, hardware, ironmongery, aluminium and glass.
It began its operations in Jebel Ali in 2004 with a 19,000 sq m warehouse cum office that serves as its regional hub and caters to booming markets in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and India.