Dubal's regional industry leadership highlighted at Aluminium Dubai 2011

A proudly UAE company, Dubai Aluminium Company Limited “DUBAL” flew its corporate flag high at Aluminium Dubai 2011, the specialist regional trade exhibition that took place at World Trade Centre, Dubai, from 9 to 11 May this year. As the Platinum Sponsor of the event, DUBAL enjoyed a strong brand presence throughout the venue and was privileged that the company’s Vice Chairman, H E Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, officiated at the formal opening ceremony. 

Since its inception in 1979, DUBAL has been widely acknowledged as the industrial flagship of the UAE in recognition of its direct and indirect financial contributions; an active proponent of the Middle East as a major aluminium-producing hub; and a leading player in the global aluminium industry. Today, the entirely state-owned enterprise owns and operates a one million metric tonne per annum primary aluminium smelter in Jebel Ali; plus a 50 per cent share in Emirates Aluminium Company Limited (“EMAL”) — the green-field smelter complex at Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, where Phase I has been fully commissioned with an operating capacity of 750,000 metric tonne per year. Responsible for marketing the metal produced by both DUBAL and EMAL, DUBAL is currently offering more than 1,750,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminium products to the market each year — making DUBAL one of the world’s top-ranking producers of primary aluminium, by capacity. This is complemented by a strong corporate commitment to best practice in all aspects of its business, such that many of DUBAL’s operating parameters are global benchmarks. 

DUBAL’s exhibition stand at Aluminium Dubai 2011 provided the perfect platform for showcasing these accomplishments and attributes; as well as for promoting the company’s product portfolio. “Visitors’ attention was focused on DUBAL’s premium purity, highest quality products; our commitment to exceptional customer service; our quest for continuous improvement through technological innovation; and our strategic location in terms of reaching markets across the world,” says Nasser Zainal (General Manager Marketing & Sales: GCC, Middle East and MENA regions). “Our Marketing & Sales team held very productive talks with existing and potential new customers; while our Supply Chain team met with existing and prospective suppliers. We’re now looking forward to reaping the inevitable fruit.”  

DUBAL traditionally exports more than 92 per cent of its annual production volumes – the company’s main markets being greater Asia, Europe, the Middle East/North Africa (“MENA”) and North America. Consistent growth has been experienced in the MENA region, in particular, in recent years. “In 2010, we sold 114,114 metric tonnes of finished products to customers in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey,” comments Zainal.  “This was 6.2 per cent upon the 107,506 metric tonnes sold to the same region in 2009; and 33.2 per cent higher than the volume of metal shipped to MENA countries in 2008. We expect the volume of metal sold into the MENA region in 2011 to exceed 127,875 metric tonnes in 2011, including an anticipated 14,517 metric tonnes of EMAL metal.” 

Within the Gulf Co-operation Council (“GCC”) region, DUBAL supplies metal to customers in Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and shipped a total of 171,106 metric tonnes of metal to these countries in 2010. “We are quite confident that the overall volume of DUBAL and EMAL metal sold within the GCC will rise to approximately 290,000 metric tonnes in 2011,” says Zainal.