Middle East crude steel production up 0.6% in May 2015

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The region’s output totalled 2.5 million tonnes in the month, compared with 2.49 million tonnes in the corresponding month in 2014.

Iran recorded the highest crude steel production in May, with 1.46 million tonnes, up by 2.4% from the 1.42 million tonnes produced in May last year.

Saudi Arabia produced 545,000 tonnes of crude steel in May, unchanged year-on-year. The production figure included the output of state-owned producer Hadeed Sabic, Worldsteel said.

Production in the UAE totalled 266,000 tonnes in May, a decrease of 0.8% on an annual basis from 268,000 tonnes in May 2014.

Qatar produced 239,000 tonnes of crude steel last month, a 6.3% decrease year-on-year from 255,000 tonnes, according to Worldsteel.

In the first five months of 2015, Middle East crude steel output reached 11.8 million tonnes, up by 2.4% from 11.53 million tonnes in the same period in 2014.

Iran had the highest crude steel production in January-May, with 6.9 million tonnes, up by 5.1% from 6.6 million tonnes last year.

Saudi Arabia produced 2.57 million tonnes of crude steel over the period, a 1.9% decrease from 2014’s 2.62 million tonnes.

Production in the UAE totalled 1.22 million tonnes in January-May, an increase of 10% from 1.11 million tonnes in 2014.

Qatar produced 1.07 million tonnes of crude steel in the five months, a 10.2% decrease year-on-year from 1.19 million tonnes.