SHARJAH, 16th January, 2026 (WAM) -- The 21st edition of SteelFab, the Middle East and North Africa's largest exhibition for the metalworking and steel fabrication industries, concluded yesterday, Thursday, at Expo Centre Sharjah, with resounding success.

Organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the exhibition brought together more than 600 leading local and international brands, with 350 exhibitors from 35 countries. Spanning 25,000 square metres, SteelFab 2026 showcased cutting-edge innovations and technologies shaping the future of the steel and metalworking sector.

The exhibition saw strong participation from major global steel fabrication and metal-forming companies, alongside industry leaders, suppliers, and investors based in the UAE, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Trkiye, India, Thailand, and Egypt.

This year's edition further strengthened the exhibition's position as a regional business platform gathering iron and steel manufacturers and investors under one roof. Prominent participation from global companies with export reach exceeding 70 countries highlighted the exhibition's international scope.

The presence of major producers of advanced steel and metal-forming equipment at SteelFab 2026 opened new channels for strategic partnerships and the expansion of cross-border distribution networks. It also helped enhance industrial export opportunities across regional and global markets.

SteelFab 2026 marked a major milestone as the first exhibition in the UAE and the region to adopt fully integrated, AI-powered digital exhibition technologies, highlighting the accelerated growth of the UAE's industrial sector and its capacity to attract high-value global investments and innovations.

This year's edition introduced AetherEx, a digital twin platform that allows exhibitors to maintain their market visibility, showcase their products, and stay connected with global audiences long after the physical show ends.

The launch of AetherEx marks a qualitative leap in the development of specialised exhibitions, supporting sustainability by enabling ongoing product visibility beyond the event's duration. The platform facilitates the creation and management of comprehensive virtual pavilions to display products, services, and technical solutions through innovative interactive formats.

The new platform offers advanced smart tools to accurately track customer sentiment and monitor and analyse buyer behaviour through a central dashboard. This ensures the continuity of commercial and business engagement and the establishment of strategic partnerships beyond the physical exhibition.

Expo Centre Sharjah leverages this model to strengthen global manufacturer-buyer interaction and to support the heavy industries sector in adopting global trends toward comprehensive digital transformation.

Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, affirmed the Centre's pride in the outstanding success of SteelFab 2026, noting that this year's edition has surpassed conventional goals to serve as a future-oriented model integrating Artificial Intelligence with the heavy industries sector.

He added that the exhibition's success reinforces Sharjah's position as a leading regional innovation hub and a strategic gateway to regional markets. He further stated that the launch of the "AetherEx" platform demonstrates a strong commitment to adopting future-ready solutions and unlocking new opportunities for sustainable business interaction.

SteelFab 2026 featured live demonstrations that highlighted the latest technological advancements shaping the steel and metalworking sector. Exhibits included next-generation steel production equipment, low-cost laser cutting systems, and AI- powered manufacturing robots for complex steel production processes.

These extensive showcases positioned SteelFab as a fully integrated technology platform, catering to diverse industry requirements while upholding advanced sustainability standards.