Saudi Arabia, Egypt fuel Mideast steel demand

Egypt and Saudi Arabia will drive growth in steel consumption this year in the Middle East and North Africa region, where booming construction and infrastructure spending will lift demand.

Egypt's banks, flush with cash despite the credit crunch, and government stimulus spending on infrastructure, helped keep construction projects running, analysts say. Housing shortages in the region also kept demand buoyant.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The observation deck of the world's tallest skyscraper reopened Sunday in Dubai, two months after an elevator malfunction left visitors trapped more than 120 stories above the ground and forced it to close.

Dozens of tourists were lining up Sunday for tickets to take an elevator to the 124th floor of the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa, where the tower's observation deck is located.

At 2,717 feet (828 meters), the tapering, silvery tower ranks as not only the world's highest skyscraper, but also the tallest freestanding structure in the world.