United Iron & Steel Company (UISC) plans to invest AED507m ($138m) to build a steel rolling mill complex in ZonesCorp Industrial City, Abu Dhabi.

Construction on the complex is expected to start in the second quarter of 2014 with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2016.

The complex will have an initial capacity of 300,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of steel products with scope to ramp up production to 500,000 t/y at a later stage.

The operation will produce galvanised steel coils and pre-painted galvanised steel coils used in roofing, cladding, ducting and other build applications aimed at supplying the UAE, Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

UISC has awarded contracts to Italy’s Danieli, German-based Siemens, Swiss group ABB, Austria’s Andritz and EMG to provide technology and equipment for the project.

UISC is a joint venture between Dubai-based AJ Group and Saudi Arabia’s Safid.