A report by Deloitte said that in terms of production and investment opportunity, the Middle East is set to become a key player in the metals and mining industry.

SAUDI FAL and Emerson launched a new 9,000sqm manufacturing facility in Jubail to meet rising local and regional demand.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has licensed an Iraqi firm to build a smelter and steel plant worth nearly US$1.1 billion.

Jotun Powder Coatings is currently eyeing Bahrain as its key market in 2011. The company has a 70 per cent market share in the GCC region excluding Saudi Arabia, where the Jotun group operates another manufacturing unit based in Dammam.

Baytik Industrial Investments (BII), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain), has announced it has signed an agreement with Siemens WLL Bahrain.