UAE based Al Ghurair Iron and Steel is doubling its steel production to meet growing demand in the Gulf and resist dumping by countries such as China and India. The company is an 80:20 venture between Dubai’s AL Ghurair group and Japan’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. It expects to produce 400,000 tonnes of galvanized steel annually by the end of this year up from 200,000 a few months ago. Husain said that despite an economic slowdown in the region due to low oil prices, steel demand was continuing to grow because of preparations for events including the 2020 Dubai Expo and the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar. About 55% of the company's production is exported, mainly to other Gulf markets and the wider Middle East and North Africa region. The remainder is sold within the UAE. (Reuters)