Metal Biz cited Mr Serdar Kocturk chairman from Turkey's Steel Exporter Association as saying that due to the global financial crisis, the debar exporting to UAE declined significantly compared with that in 2007 and 2008 and the market share had decreased 70%.

Since the end of 2008, the UAE construction industry such as Dubai remained sluggish and the demand for construction steel was weak. Dubai once was the main export market of the Turkey's steel manufacturers.

In view of this, Turkey's steel mills had to turn to new export markets in North Africa such as Egypt, Libya and Algeria to make up for the decrease of the export shares in the traditional market.