DUBAL showcased at annual celebration of entrepreneurship

On Tuesday 15 March 2011, the proverbial spotlight fell on Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) — the entirely state-owned enterprise whose Jebel Ali operation ranks among the world’s largest single-site primary aluminium smelters — when DUBAL’s President & CEO Abdulla J M Kalban presented the keynote address at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Annual Business Forum. 

Attended by AUS faculty, staff, students and alumni in engineering and other majors, the event aims to celebrate entrepreneurship by exposing the audience to the experience of leading business figures. In this way, real professional insights effectively bring to life the theoretical knowledge acquired through university education. 

Acknowledging this purpose, Abdulla Kalban’s address highlighted the growth strategies adopted by DUBAL over the years, the company’s vision and goals, its success factors and key market differentiators. Information was also shared regarding DUBAL’s commitment to protecting the environment while safe-guarding the health and safety of employees; and the company’s passion for people, as evidenced through strategic programmes to empower employees to reach their full personal and professional potential. “Genuine leadership is the key to success, both at individual and corporate level,” said Kalban. “From a personal perspective, I endeavour to lead by example and by inculcating a culture inclusivity. This includes encouraging employee involvement and accountability in the business while striving for continuous improvement through innovation at all levels. Indeed, an excellence-based partnership approach underscores the relationships that we nurture with all of DUBAL’s stakeholder audiences — whether customers, suppliers, our employees or the community.” 

He also believes in pro-actively anticipating challenges and developing appropriate mitigating strategies on an ongoing basis. “It’s important always to keep a finger on the pulse of both the company and the market; and to be sufficiently flexible to adapt as required,” observed Abdulla. “It’s also important to remember that people are a company’s greatest asset: attracting and retaining skilled, talented individuals is key to ensuring the intellectual wealth of the business.”