United Gulf Steel (UGS) introduced new products in 2005 to give itself an edge over the competition in several markets within the Arabian Gulf and beyond.

It launched 150 mm angles for the transmission tower fabrication segment. Earlier, the company had introduced 55 mm and 110 mm angles to offer a complete basket of products required by transmission and communication tower manufacturers. For the pre-engineered building segment, UGS will be introducing 300 mm flat bars. The company had introduced new sizes of channels – 80 mm and 120 mm for commercial stockists.
The company says it is targeting a turnover approaching SR700 million ($186.6 million) for 2006.
UGS manufactures a range of structural steel products at its facility in Jubail Industrial City. The unit has a nameplate capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year (tpy) and with improvements in optimisation of the product mix the company is targeting a production level of 450,000 tpy.
The company uses state-of-the-art technology supplied by Simac of Italy, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMS-Demag, Germany. UGS offers a wide range of structural steel medium-section products comprising IPE/IPEA/IPEAA beams (80 mm to 200 mm), UPE/UPN channels (50/80 mm to 200 mm), equal angles (40 mm to 150 mm), flat bars (60 mm to 300 mm), square bars (24 mm to 80 mm) and round bars (30 mm to 90 mm) conforming to various international standards and required for use in construction and structural projects in the region. Apart from commercial grades, angles and flat bars are supplied in high-tensile grades as per international specifications to pre engineered building and transmission tower fabricators.
“UGS has pioneered medium-section structural steel products offering unmatched quality and service levels to its customers,” says a company spokesman.  “Niche markets like IPEAA beams and tailor-made solutions for fabricators in the region have reinforced UGS brand identity again and again in the region making UGS products the most sought after in construction projects and industrial and commercial building applications.”
The company serves a range of large industrial users covering pre-engineered building fabricators, power transmission and telecommunication tower fabricators, irrigation equipment manufacturers, and scaffolding, cold drawing and fastener industries. UGS has a wide network of major steel stockists spread all over the GCC.
It enjoys the status of prime supplier in a selected product range to large customers such as Zamil, Hidada, Kirby, Al Babtain, Saudi Building System, Emirates Building System and Mammut.
The domestic market in Saudi Arabia continues to remain UGS’ focus, accounting for a majority of its sales. Products are also supplied to other GCC countries and overseas markets such as  Jordan, Sudan, India and Iran.
“In a short span of three years, UGS has been able to establish itself as a clear leader in the region’s structural steel market, warding off competition from various established international steel sources. With its strategic position, and efficient logistics and support systems, UGS has been able to respond to market needs on home ground and other GCC markets,” the spokesman said.
“With international steel markets expected to rebound in the near future and driven by ever-growing Middle East steel markets, UGS performance is poised to significantly grow in the next few years.”