Steel fabrication Dubai: scope, rates and lead times

Steel fabrication in Dubai covers structural frames, mezzanine floors, staircases and secondary steel, with supply rates of roughly AED 6.50 to AED 9.50 per kg for mild steel. This guide sets out what gets built, what it costs in 2026, the zones where the work happens and how to pick a workshop that holds its programme.

Why work with APEX STEEL WORKS L.L.C

  • Google rating of 5 from 32 customer reviews
  • Steel, stainless steel, GI welding and lathe work handled in-house
  • Workshop fabrication with delivery and installation across the United Arab Emirates
  • Written quotes priced from your drawings before cutting starts
  • Direct WhatsApp and phone line on +971 52 270 9796
  • Fabrication for contractors, fit-out and industrial clients

APEX STEEL WORKS L.L.C runs steel fabrication and structural steel works in the UAE from first take off to handover.

What steel fabrication in Dubai covers

Most enquiries land in five buckets. Fit-out contractors usually need staircases and architectural steel, while main contractors and factory owners come for the tonnage.

Structural steel

Columns, beams, bracing and base plates for warehouses, factories and retail shells. Sections are detailed to shop drawings, drilled, welded and coated before they leave the yard.

Pre-engineered buildings

Portal frames, rafters, purlins and sheeting rails, usually priced as a package per ton. There is a fuller walkthrough in our guide to warehouse steel structure in Dubai.

Mezzanine floors

The most common Dubai job. Extra floor area inside an existing warehouse in Al Quoz or Dubai Investment Park, built from columns, primary beams, joists and decking. Storage loads of 500 kg per sqm need very different sections to office loads of 250 kg per sqm.

Staircases and architectural steel

Mild steel, stainless steel and glass support steel for stairs, balustrades, canopies and feature ceilings. Finish quality shows here more than anywhere else.

Secondary steel

Purlins, sag rods, brackets, ladders, guarding and cable tray supports. Light in tonnage, heavy in programme risk when it arrives late.

A team member takes a selfie inside a Dubai commercial interior mid renovation, with tables and chairs under protective plastic, wooden ceiling panels, pendant lights and city views through tall windows Fit-out in progress: ceiling panels and pendant lighting in, protected furniture still under wraps.

Workshop and site constraints across Dubai

The workshop is rarely the bottleneck. Access is.

  • Al Quoz suits architectural and fit-out work because it is minutes from most city sites, but service roads are tight and there is nowhere to park a trailer overnight
  • Jebel Ali is a free zone, so Trakhees approves the works, and the wide roads make it the best base for heavy frames
  • Dubai Industrial City offers larger plots under Dubai Municipality permits, which suits phased deliveries
  • Dubai Investment Park is mixed use, so delivery windows and noise limits shape the programme

Oversize loads on Dubai roads need an RTA permit, and crane positions may need sign off too. Allow two to five working days for that in the programme.

Steel fabrication cost in Dubai

Typical 2026 rates for supply, fabricated to drawing:

  • Mild steel: AED 6.50 to AED 9.50 per kg
  • Hot dip galvanised: AED 10.50 to AED 14.00 per kg
  • Painted, primer plus topcoat: AED 8.50 to AED 12.00 per kg
  • Stainless steel grade 304: AED 18 to AED 28 per kg
  • Erection on site: AED 1.20 to AED 2.20 per kg
  • Delivery inside Dubai: AED 1,200 to AED 3,500 per load

Per ton, that is AED 6,500 to AED 9,500 for mild steel supply. Four things move the number.

  • Section weight. Heavy plate and thick walled sections take longer to weld and burn more consumables
  • Coating. Galvanising adds roughly AED 3 to AED 4 per kg and about a week at the galvaniser
  • Drawings. Fabricating from approved shop drawings costs less than fabricating from a sketch
  • Delivery. A 12 m trailer from Al Quoz to Jebel Ali is not the same trip as a pickup load to Sharjah

Worked example. A 288 sqm mezzanine inside an existing warehouse in Jebel Ali. Steel weight works out at about 35 kg per sqm, so 10 tonnes.

  1. Supply and fabricate: 10,000 kg at AED 8.00 = AED 80,000
  2. Hot dip galvanised: 10,000 kg at AED 3.50 = AED 35,000
  3. Erection: 10,000 kg at AED 1.50 = AED 15,000
  4. Delivery from Al Quoz to Jebel Ali = AED 2,000
  5. Total = AED 132,000, which is about AED 13.20 per kg and AED 460 per sqm

Composite floor decking, if required, adds AED 180 to AED 260 per sqm fitted. Our steel fabrication guides and 2026 rate cards cover other cities and scopes.

The quality was great, and the price was one of the best I found.

Romosh, 5 out of 5 on Google

A team member takes a selfie in a luxury restaurant near completion, with a white marble and wood panelled kitchen island, high ambient lighting and arched windows looking out to palms and desert Final stages of a restaurant build, marble island installed and the steelwork already closed up behind the finishes.

Lead times, drawings and QA/QC

From approved shop drawings, expect five to eight working days for a single flight staircase, three to five weeks for a mezzanine, and six to ten weeks for a portal frame warehouse.

  1. Send drawings or a marked up sketch on WhatsApp on +971 52 270 9796
  2. We take off quantities and issue a written quote, usually in one to two working days
  3. Shop drawings are produced and issued for approval, with queries raised early
  4. Cutting, drilling, welding and trial assembly happen in the workshop
  5. Coating is applied, either hot dip galvanising or a paint system to the specified dry film thickness
  6. Delivery and erection are sequenced to your site programme
  7. Handover includes mill test certificates, welding records and inspection reports

Quality control is where cheap quotes fall apart. Ask for these before you award.

  • Welding procedures qualified to AWS D1.1 or EN 1090, with WPS and PQR on file
  • Welder qualification certificates for every process used on your job
  • Mill test certificates to EN 10204 3.1 for all sections
  • An inspection and test plan agreed before the first cut
  • Dimensional checks, bolt torque records and dry film thickness readings
They are very professional, knowledgeable, and pay attention to even the smallest details.

Alhaf, 5 out of 5 on Google

How to choose a steel fabrication company in Dubai

Ask three questions. What is your monthly capacity in tonnes, who does the galvanising, and can I see test certificates from a job finished last month.

  • Capacity. A workshop that accepts every job will push yours back, so ask how many projects run in parallel
  • In-house versus subcontracted galvanising. Subcontracting is normal, but the fabricator should control collection and return dates
  • Certificates. Mill test certificates, welder qualifications and ITPs should be routine, not a favour
  • Logistics. A fabricator close to your site saves time on surveys, snag visits and touch up work
  • Scope clarity. Confirm who supplies anchor bolts, decking, fireproofing and final paint

The same crews cover work nationwide, so the team behind our steel fabrication Abu Dhabi projects can mobilise to a Dubai site with no change to drawings or QA paperwork. For structural steel fabrication, Dubai clients are usually priced per ton, so compare quotes on weight rather than headline square metre rates. Reliable steel fabricators in Dubai will show you the certificates before you ask.

Frequently asked questions

How much does steel fabrication cost in Dubai?

Mild steel fabricated to drawing runs from AED 6.50 to AED 9.50 per kg, or AED 6,500 to AED 9,500 per ton. Galvanised work sits between AED 10.50 and AED 14.00 per kg. A 10 tonne warehouse mezzanine typically lands between AED 115,000 and AED 145,000 including galvanising, delivery and erection.

Do I need approval for a mezzanine floor in Dubai?

Yes. You need a building permit from Dubai Municipality, or from Dubai Development Authority or Trakhees if the unit sits inside one of those zones. Structural calculations from a licensed engineer form part of the submission, and approval should be in place before fabrication starts on a permanent structure.

How long does steel fabrication take in Dubai?

From approved shop drawings, plan on five to eight working days for a staircase, three to five weeks for a mezzanine and six to ten weeks for a warehouse frame. Galvanising adds about a week. Site erection for a mezzanine is usually two to four days.

Is galvanised steel worth the extra cost in Dubai?

In most cases yes. Hot dip galvanising adds roughly AED 3 to AED 4 per kg but gives decades of protection in humid and coastal conditions. Painted steel is cheaper up front and needs recoating, and sites near Jebel Ali and the coast punish thin paint systems.

Can the same workshop handle stainless steel and GI welding?

A capable workshop handles mild steel, stainless steel and galvanised iron in the same yard, but the processes differ. Stainless needs dedicated tooling to avoid contamination, and GI welding needs the zinc removed at the weld zone. Ask how they separate the two.

Do you work outside Dubai?

Yes, across the United Arab Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates. Delivery and erection are priced per trip, and site surveys are arranged around your programme rather than ours.