10 sessions and 47 speakers to discuss the challenges of the Arab steel industry amidst international trade and market challenges and the European CBAM mechanism
The 19th Arab Iron and Steel Union Summit will commence in Cairo from November 3rd to 4th, 2026, to discuss the future of the steel industry in the Arab region amidst rapid global economic and geopolitical transformations.
The summit is held under the patronage of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Cairo hotel.
Eng. Ahmed Ezz, Chairman of the Arab Iron and Steel Union, stated that the summit witnesses broad participation including major iron and steel producers, mining companies, representatives of international economic and financial institutions, technology and industrial service providers, as well as a number of senior officials, experts, and specialists from various countries around the world. He expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Prime Minister for this kind patronage.
Ezz affirmed that His Excellency's favor of inaugurating the summit's proceedings and delivering a speech at its opening session represents significant support for the success of its work and enhances its position as the largest Arab platform for dialogue and cooperation in the iron and steel industry.
The summit will address a range of strategic issues related to the future of the Arab iron and steel industry, discuss the growing repercussions of trade barriers and protectionist measures in global steel markets, review the latest industrial and digital technologies and solutions, and enhance Arab and international partnerships to support the competitiveness and sustainable growth of the Arab industry.
The conference includes a selection of steel industry leaders, CEOs of prominent regional and global industrial entities, economic experts, and representatives of international banking institutions, to discuss Arab steel industry issues, global steel trade disruptions, challenges facing Arab producers, alongside green transition issues, supply chain challenges, and financing mechanisms for sustainable industrial development in the steel industry.
· CEOs Summit: The Arab Steel Industry in a Changing World
The first day's proceedings will be led by the Arab Companies CEOs Summit, under the theme "The Arab Steel Industry in a Changing World Towards a More Competitive and Sustainable Future." The summit will be attended by industry icons, with the session chaired by Eng. Ahmed Ezz, Chairman of Ezz Steel, and featuring prominent participation from top CEOs, including Abdulaziz Al-Mubarak, CEO of Saudi Steel Company, Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al-Remethi, CEO of UAE's "Al Emarat Steel" Group, and Suleiman Arar, CEO of the Algerian Iron and Steel Complex.
The main session will be followed by a speech delivered by Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali, and a presentation by Dr. Mona El-Garf, Professor of Economics at Cairo University.
· International Trade Disruptions
Trade and environmental challenges will occupy a significant portion of the conference agenda. The second session will discuss "Global Steel Trade Disruptions: Challenges Facing Arab Producers in Domestic and Export Markets," moderated by Dr. Mona El-Garf, Professor of Economics at Cairo University, with the participation of a selection of international trade law experts and representatives of governmental and industrial sectors, including Afaf Ezz, General Manager of Business Development at Ezz Steel, and Yumna El-Shabrawy, Head of Commercial Treatment Sector at the Ministry of Investment, alongside international law experts Lina Aburous, Senior Director and Head of Critical Issues Practice at Forward Global, and Sven de Knop, Partner at Sidley Austin LLP.
· Emerging Technologies and the Future of the Steel Industry
Regarding technological innovation, the third session will be held to discuss "Emerging Technologies and the Future of the Steel Industry," moderated by Eng. Mohamed Metwally Al-Ameri, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Arab Iron and Steel Union, with the participation of global equipment industry leaders, most notably Giacomo Mareschi Danielli, CEO of Danieli Group, Guanglin Hua, Managing Director of Sinosteel Engineering, Alberto Brigante, Sales Director for SMS Group in the Middle East and Africa, and Hideshi Yoshizaki, Head of Customer Sector at Primetals Technologies.
· The fourth session will be dedicated to benchmarking in the iron and steel industry, with participation from Dirk Doerrenberg, Senior Expert Metals & Mining at McKinsey, and Alaa Abu El-Kheir, Head of the Egyptian Metals Chamber.
The second day will begin with a speech by Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the keynote speaker, on "Financing Sustainable Industrial Transformation: Pathways to Resilient Growth in Emerging Economies."
· Iron and Steel Markets and Growth Prospects
The fifth session, titled "Iron and Steel Markets in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, and Syria: Current Situation and Growth Prospects," will be moderated by Hatem Sonhaji, CEO of Maroc Steel, with participation from Bandar bin Abdullah Al-Suleim, Chairman of the National Iron Company of Saudi Arabia, Hassan El-Marakby, CEO of El-Marakby Steel in Egypt, Abdelkader Khilaf, Marketing Director at AQS in Algeria, Anas Joud, Chairman of Joud Steel Company in Syria, and Bilal Omar Ismail, Chairman of MAS Company in Iraq.
· Global Steel Industry Prospects
The sixth session, titled "Global Steel Industry Prospects: Risks, Opportunities, and Strategic Priorities," will be moderated by Dr. Aliaa El-Mahdy, former Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, Mohamed Al-Jabr, Consultant and Expert in the Iron and Steel Sector, Dr. Vuslat Yayan, Secretary General of the Turkish Foundry Association, and Sunil Seebun, Senior Analyst at CRU Index.
· Arab Steel and the CBAM Challenge
In the context of environmental regulations related to European legislation, Andrew Purvis, Director of Sustainable Manufacturing at the World Steel Association, will chair the seventh session of the conference, titled "Arab Steel and Decarbonization Challenges: How to Face the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Challenge." The session will be moderated by Andrew Purvis, Director of Sustainable Manufacturing at World Steel Association, with the participation of sustainability and energy experts: Dr. Dimitrios Dimitriou, Vice President of Sustainability at Al Emarat Steel Group, Andreas Rathgeber, Head of International Sales and Marketing at Primetals Technologies, Paulo Carvalho, Managing Director of Valeo Brazil, and Eng. Mohamed Imam Omar, Head of Steel Industry Management, Electric Arc Furnaces at Qatar Steel.
· Steel Economics
"Economics of Direct Reduced Iron Technologies: Accelerating the Transition to Low-Carbon Steel Production" is the title of the eighth session, moderated by Eng. Ibrahim, Deputy General Manager of Ezz Steel, with participation from K.C. Woody, President of Midrex, Stefano Maggiolino, President of Tenova HYL, and Marco Lapasin, Vice President of Danieli.
· Financing Iron and Steel Projects
This is the title of the ninth session of the conference, under the title: "Steel Project Financing Models: An Integrated Approach to Attracting Government, Institutional, and Banking Finance within an Effective Financing Package", moderated by Ahmed Nabil, Board Member at Ezz Steel, and featuring Hatem El-Dardiri, Director and International Head of Advisory and Capital Markets at Afreximbank, and Saeed Sabra, IFC Country Manager and Resident Representative in Egypt, World Bank Group, and Menna Allah, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Egypt Office for the Corporate Sector.
· Steel Project Financing
The ninth session will be held to discuss "Steel Project Financing Models" with the participation of representatives from major international financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, and the African Export-Import Bank, to develop effective financing packages that support the industry's projects towards a more sustainable future.
· Scrap
In the context of securing supplies, the summit's activities will conclude with the tenth session of the Arab Steel Summit to discuss "Securing Scrap Supplies to Enhance Competitiveness and Ensure the Future of the Arab Steel Industry", a session moderated by Leigh Allen, Strategic Scrap Markets Editor at Fastmarkets, with the participation of a group of international experts, including Levin Nerenk, Chief Commercial Officer at Gilo, Alex Forrest, Steel Sales Manager at S. Norton & Co. Ltd., Tao Bai, Commercial General Manager at AMR, and Dr. Fadi Archi, Consultant and Analyst specializing in Metals and Mining at McKinsey.
BCG will present a presentation on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and legal restrictions.
The summit is organized by the Arab Iron and Steel Union, one of the specialized Arab organizations affiliated with the Arab Economic Unity Council of the League of Arab States, which was established in 1972. It includes approximately 50 companies representing 14 Arab countries and works to support and develop the iron, steel, and mining industries and enhance cooperation and integration among Arab companies operating in the sector.
