The recognition is a direct result of the significant progress EMSTEEL made throughout 2024 in enhancing sustainability.

Abu Dhabi-headquartered EMSTEEL, one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the region, has been recognised as a 2025 Steel Sustainability Champion by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) for the second consecutive year

The recognition was presented during the worldsteel Special General Meeting held in Sydney, Australia. Now in its eighth year, the Steel Sustainability Champion accolade—part of The Steelie Awards—honours companies demonstrating exceptional commitment to sustainable development in the global steel industry. They have to fulfil stringent criteria, including signing the worldsteel Sustainability Charter, meeting 20 sustainability criteria, providing Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data, and participating in worldsteel’s initiatives such as the Steelie Awards or the Safety and Health Recognition Programme.

The recognition is a direct result of the significant progress EMSTEEL made throughout 2024 in enhancing sustainability. For example, the company has partnered with Masdar to launch the MENA region’s first green hydrogen demonstration project for the steel industry, positioning EMSTEEL as a leader in the UAE’s hydrogen economy and a driving force for providing sustainable solutions for the construction and manufacturing sectors.

EMSTEEL is also active on the global stage. As a co-chair of the Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation, an initiative led by the International Renewable Energy Agency, EMSTEEL is working alongside 84 partners to set joint decarbonisation targets, including tripling renewable energy production and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 54% by 2030.

As part of its ambitious decarbonisation roadmap, EMSTEEL aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in its Steel Business Unit and 30% in its Cement Business by 2030, with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The company has already made substantial progress, having reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions intensity by 23%.

Engineer Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of EMSTEEL, said, “Being named a worldsteel Sustainability Champion is a true honour and a reflection of the dedication and hard work of everyone at EMSTEEL. It reinforces our commitment to driving the transition towards a low-carbon future, not just for the steel industry, but for the entire global industrial landscape. With a continued focus on innovation, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, we will build a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.

“As the first steelmaker in the world to capture part of its CO₂ emissions, we have been able to operate with 45% less carbon intensity than the global average and are excited to continue playing a cataclysmic role in decarbonising this hard-to-abate sector and the downstream supply chain.”

The collaboration will help Aramco to advancing fire safety standards and enhancing emergency response capabilities. (Image source: UL Solutions)

UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, has signed an MoU with Aramco to collaborate on advancing fire and life safety to meet Aramco’s requirements and support public safety in Saudi Arabia, as well as testing and personnel training on UL standards and workplace safety

The MoU includes collaboration to support Aramco’s IKTVA programme goals, which support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, including developing the local energy sector, creating new jobs, improving supply chain efficiency and promoting Saudi Arabia as an export hub.

“With our mission of working for a safer world, we are ready to support the goals of Aramco and Saudi Arabia for a safer and more sustainable future,” said Jomy Joseph, regional director of the Middle East and Africa at UL Solutions. “This MoU fosters a better understanding of stakeholder requirements and how we can help enable innovation for a safer and more successful future in Saudi Arabia with our longstanding expertise in fire and life safety science.”

“Our potential collaboration with UL Solutions through this MoU marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to advancing fire safety standards and enhancing emergency response capabilities,” said Abdullah M. Ghamdi, vice president of Fire Protection at Aramco. “Together, we look forward to combining our strengths toward achieving Vision 2030 by creating safer environments, enhancing our respective capabilities and promoting a culture of continuous improvement in fire safety practices.”

Saudi Arabia’s fire and life safety standards are being upgraded as part of the Vision 2030 plan, in alignment with the Kingdom’s rapid growth, with the expansion of mega and giga projects significantly increasing the demand for specialised Fire & Life Safety expertise. International consultancy AESG recently announced it is strengthening its fire and life safety business in Saudi Arabia, and the US-based NFPA is stepping up its collaboration with Saudi Arabia to advance fire and life safety standards in line with the country’s rapid development, to support the Kingdom’s mega projects. Local and regional demand for fire prevention and safety implementation systems is anticipated to continue to grow strongly.

The acquisition enhances SureWerx’s position in the fall protection market

Houston-based SureWerx, a prominent global supplier of safety gear, tools, and equipment, has completed its acquisition of Reliance Fall Protection, LLC, a company specialising in fall safety solutions.

The financial details of the deal were not made public.

Reliance Fall Protection, with operations in Houston, Texas, and Arvada, Colorado, has been a key player in the industry since its founding in 2000.

The company initially gained recognition for developing horizontal lifeline systems that minimise fall height requirements while maintaining structural integrity at the endpoints.

Over the years, it has expanded its portfolio to include a broad range of safety products tailored for construction and height-related work.

These offerings encompass self-retracting lifelines—such as the Enviroshield Sealed-Block, Skyloc II, and MicroLoc—along with harnesses, lanyards, an Aluminum Rail Fall Arrest System, and various anchors, including adjustable davits.

The acquisition enhances SureWerx’s position in the fall protection market, adding Reliance’s expertise to its existing lineup.

“Adding Reliance Fall Protection to our growing, world-class portfolio of fall protection products and SureWerx brands moves us ever further toward our goal of becoming the global leader in safety and productivity,” said SureWerx CEO Chris Baby.

“Reliance Fall Protection complements our FALL SAFE and PeakWorks fall protection brands and brings us closer to building a robust and innovative fall protection portfolio as part of the SureWerx platform. Reliance Fall Protection excels in the most technical and demanding portion of the fall protection market, setting them apart from their competition. We are thrilled to be adding this highly respected brand to our market-leading portfolio of best-in-class safety products.”

Reliance Fall Protection has built its brand on advancing safety standards through accessible, high-quality equipment.

“Reliance Fall Protection has always been dedicated to raising the standards of personal fall protection equipment by providing readily accessible products both regionally and nationally. Reliance Fall Protection prides itself on exceeding customers’ expectations by meeting regulatory safety standards in ANSI Z359 and ISO 17025 internally,” said Reliance Fall Protection founder, Joe Shaw.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with SureWerx, a company that holds the same values and commitment to worker safety as Reliance Fall Protection. Their reach into the global industrial markets across multiple channels will undoubtedly accelerate growth of all Reliance Fall Protection’s well-respected brands. We are in good hands—the future for Reliance Fall Protection is destined for accelerated growth and the shared continued commitment to keeping workers safe!”

The move aligns with SureWerx’s strategy to expand its influence in the safety and productivity sector, particularly in construction and industrial markets worldwide, including the GCC region where it has a growing presence.

Industry observers see this acquisition as a step toward consolidating advanced fall protection solutions under one umbrella, potentially benefiting workers in high-risk environments.

The association hopes to raise awareness of how to act in an emergency. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The UAE Ministry of Community Empowerment has issued a ministerial resolution announcing the official establishment of the Safety and Emergency Security Association, designed to promoting a culture of safety and enhancing community readiness in the face of emergencies

The association, which will be headquartered in the Emirate of Sharjah, is the initiative of  a group of distinguished national experts with extensive experience in safety and emergency security and  stems from a belief in the importance of collective action and cross-sector collaboration to promote prevention, safety, and empowerment across various fields.

The association is set to play an important role in raising public awareness of safety concepts and preventive measures. This will be achieved through awareness campaigns and activities aimed at various segments of society across all age groups. It will also target non-Arabic and non-English speakers who might struggle to access safety information due to language barriers, with dedicated training in their languages, and multi-lingual information.

In addition, it will offer specialised training programmes to develop skills in safety and emergency preparedness, a key initiative being to train fresh graduates interested in this area. It will strengthen collaboration with government, academic, and private entities to expand strategic partnerships—ultimately enhancing the community’s readiness to respond to emergencies.

The launch of the association coincides with the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, designating 2025 as the “Year of Community” under the theme “Hand in Hand.” This national initiative aims to strengthen social bonds and community cohesion, instill values of cooperation and belonging, preserve cultural heritage, and encourage active participation through community service, volunteering, and impactful initiatives—all of which reinforce a culture of shared responsibility and drive collective progress.

The association will emphasise the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility across sectors to enhance prevention, promote safety, and empower communities.

"Safety and security are not limited to environmental disasters. A disaster can take many forms, environmental or health-related," said Haitham Mohammed Al Raeesi, the association's Chairman and Manager, Emergency, Crisis & Business Continuity at Dubai Municipality.

"Our role is to raise awareness among individuals on how to act in emergencies, whether it's a fire or a personal crisis. As a non-profit organisation, our goal is to build an informed community."

Saudi Arabia has made notable strides in Numbeo's recently-published Safety Index, climbing from 26^th place in 2024 to 14^th in 2025. This remarkable improvement places Saudi Arabia among the top 15 safest countries in the world, surpassing notable nations such as Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, and China.

Saudi Arabia’s jump in the rankings saw it overtake several European nations known for their high safety standards, including Switzerland (17^th in 2024 to 23^rd in 2025), Finland (23^rd to 24^th), and the Netherlands (21^st to 26^th).

Overall, as a region, the Middle East reported varying performances in the safety index. The UAE (2^nd place) and Qatar (3^rd place) continue to earn their status as some of the safest countries worldwide. Oman (5^th) also remains a regional leader in safety. Bahrain, though still ranked highly, dropped slightly from 13^th to 16^th.

Kuwait and Israel, both in the top 40, have also maintained relatively strong positions, though not recording a major upward shift like Saudi Arabia.

Numeo also recently released its Quality of Life index of 62 Asian cities, where the Middle East earned all top three slots. Explore full coverage of those rankings here.