ArcelorMittal expands in Sharjah to tap region’s mega projects

Global steelmaker ArcelorMittal, owned by the steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, is expanding its manufacturing base in Sharjah to tap the rising demand across the region.

ArcelorMittal Projects, part of the steel and mining group, will open its third plant in the Hamriyah Free Zone. 

The new facility will cover 1.4 million square feet, with operations scheduled to commence in 2026, Hamriyah Free Zone Authority said in a statement. 

The expansion will increase the company’s production capacity in steel pipe manufacturing and specialised coating solutions. However it did not disclose the investment size or provide details on the new factory.

With the new plant, ArcelorMittal’s total land investment in the zone will reach 5 million square feet.

Johannes De Schrijver, CEO of ArcelorMittal Projects, said the move forms part of a long-term plan to strengthen its industrial footprint in the region and increase its capacity to support large-scale projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

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The aggregate value of awards in the GCC region reached $55 billion in the third quarter of 2025, down 27 percent year on year, according to Kamco Invest data.

This slowdown follows two years of record spending, during which the region ramped up investments in large-scale oil and gas projects alongside more than $1 trillion in giga projects in Saudi Arabia, it added.

ArcelorMittal has established two steel pipe manufacturing mills and two external coating lines after starting operations in the free zone five years ago.

In November The Times reported that Mittal has decided to leave the UK due to fears of new taxes on ultra high net worth individuals.

Although he is a resident in Switzerland for tax purposes, he will spend much of his time in Dubai, it said.