More than 53 per cent of the steel industry has reported an incidence of, what is believed to be, counterfeit steel products at some point in day-to-day operations, according to a study commissioned by the Steel Alliance against Counterfeiting (SAAC).

SAAC, which was formed in 2015 and is made up of the world's 18 leading suppliers of steel products, is working to drive awareness and identify solutions to the growing problem of fake steel in the region.

Market studies indicate that the total volume of tubular products in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) market in 2016 reached 2,967,176 tonnes.

The research revealed that 79 per cent of construction industry professionals in the Gulf are in favour of tighter controls over the import of steel products from certain markets. Government policies, including the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, prescribe a very high standard for materials to be used in buildings and installations, it said.

Insights and feedback from 70 contractors, consultants and product suppliers from across the GCC were used for the study, which was released today at a meeting of industry professionals.

Andrey Burtsev, commercial director for Middle East, Africa and Asia markets, Interpipe, said: “Cities in the GCC region are shining examples of technology adoption and ground-breaking architectural feats.”

“There is absolutely no place for any uncertainty or spurious practices that compromise their infrastructure. As the survey indicates, counterfeit steel products continue to pose significant risks across sectors and in critical installations like oil rigs, pipelines, oil refineries and so on,” he said.

For more information, visit http://url.ie/11ssb.

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