DUBAI, UAE – Emirates Steel Arkan and IBM announced today on the sidelines of COP28 that the Group will be leveraging the advanced capabilities of IBM Envizi ESG Suite software to streamline the sustainability reporting process through revolutionized data utilization and insights as part of its digitization strategy to capture value and increase productivity and efficiencies. Collaborating seamlessly with IBM's business partner, Gulf Business Machines (GBM), this strategic implementation of Envizi marks a pivotal moment for Emirates Steel Arkan do drive its digital infrastructure modernization efforts forward using the power of digital capabilities to make data-driven decisions and reporting.

Aligned with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) and the UAE's "Year of Sustainability," this initiative underscores Emirates Steel Arkan's commitment to operationalizing sustainability, advancing environmental goals, and realizing its decarbonization ambitions in line with UAE’s net zero by 2050 strategic initiative. The IBM Envizi ESG Suite software establishes a robust data foundation, simplifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation and reporting while significantly reducing reporting time.

Saeed Alghafri, CEO of Emirates Steel, an Emirates Steel Arkan company, said: “As one of the region’s leading steel and building materials groups, we have always emphasized and remained committed to innovation and sustainability. We are on a continued quest to boost our accountability and transparency and proactively working to enhance our ESG reporting process to give us a clear picture of where we stand, and how far we still must go to achieve our ambitious decarbonization goals. The IBM software will enable the Group to harness the transformative power of data analytics to deliver faster and more accurate results that will inform effective ESG strategies and action plans.”

He added, “This partnership aligns with our broader decarbonization goals, and other crucial projects already in progress, towards achieving these objectives.”

ESA embarked on a three-year digitization strategy that aims to modernize business models with digital capabilities, and reduce the Group’s CO2 footprint by employing cost-effective, material-efficient, and energy-saving technologies.

"At IBM, we are committed to contributing to the UAE's Green Agenda – 2030,” said Hande Akdede Erbay, Sustainability Software Leader for IBM in Middle East & Africa. “We are working closely with our clients and partners to address key sustainability challenges of concern to companies in the region when it comes to ESG data collection, analysis, and reporting. We have designed IBM Envizi to empower expansive enterprises like Emirates Steel Arkan to take control of their data to underpin their journey towards sustainability. Serving as a single repository for ESG data, the platform has been proven to create significant positive shifts in sustainability engagement across organizations in the region.”

Miguel Khouri, General Manager at GBM Abu Dhabi said: “We are proud of our pivotal role as a strategic technology partner for Emirates Steel Arkan in its transformative initiative. GBM’s unwavering commitment is reflected in our dedication to leveraging cutting-edge capabilities, to drive not only impactful environmental outcomes but also catalyze operational shifts that redefine industry standards. We are excited to help support Emirates Steel Arkan contribute to the UAE's industrial strategy ‘Operation 300 billion’ with state-of-the-art sustainability solutions. This collaboration seamlessly aligns with our mission of supporting organizations in the region on their journey towards a digitally empowered future."

About Emirates Steel Arkan (ESA)

Emirates Steel Arkan (the Group) is a public joint stock company (ADX: EMSTEEL) and the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer. The Group leverages cutting-edge technologies to supply both the local market and more than 70 international markets with high-quality finished products, creating a one-stop shop for the manufacturing and construction sectors.

Emirates Steel Arkan is committed to contributing to the UAE's industrial strategy ‘Operation 300 billion’ by delivering market-leading products to support local industries, creating job opportunities for UAE Nationals, and enhancing its sustainable practices. The Group is also among the leading decarbonized steel manufacturers in the world and is recognized for its world-class safety performance.

The Group’s steel and building materials have been used in some of the UAE’s most iconic construction projects, including the Burj Khalifa, Emirates Palace, Etihad Towers, Yas Island, and more.

Emirates Steel Arkan is majority owned by ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.

For more information, please visit our website: www.emiratessteelarkan.com  

For Media enquiries, please contact:
Mohammad Daggamseh
Manager of Media and Communications
Email: mohammad.daggamseh@emiratessteel.com 

For Investor enquiries, please contact:
Gleb Diachkov-Gertcev
Director of Investor Relations
Email: gleb.dg@emiratessteel.com

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

For additional information on IBM’s sustainability solutions, please visit https://www.ibm.com/sustainability

About Gulf Business Machines (GBM)

With more than 30 years of experience, 7 offices and over 1500 employees across the region, Gulf Business Machines (GBM) is a leading end-to-end digital solutions provider, offering the region’s broadest portfolio, including industry-leading digital infrastructure, digital business solutions, security and services. We have nurtured partnerships since 1990 with the world’s leading technology companies and invested in a talented, skilled workforce to implement solutions that cater to customer’s specific, complex and diverse business needs.

Some of our strategic partners in the Gulf include IBM as their sole distributor throughout the GCC (excluding Saudi Arabia and selected IBM product and services), Cisco as a Gold and Master Partner (the highest level of certification at Cisco).

For more information, please visit www.gbmme.com