Dubai Aluminium Company Limited ("DUBAL") — the entirely state-owned enterprise that owns and operates one of the world's largest single-site aluminium smelters — will take part in the 8th World Trade Fair and Conference ("ALUMINIUM 2010"), which takes place in Messe Essen, Germany, from 14 to 16 September this year. As at the previous biennial event, ALUMINIUM 2008, DUBAL will participate jointly at this year's exhibition with Emirates Aluminium Company Limited ("EMAL") — the high-tech green-field aluminium smelter in Abu Dhabi, currently ramp-up stage, in which DUBAL holds a 50 per cent share. The two companies will promote both their individual facilities and their joint product portfolio to delegates, participants and other visitors to the exhibition as a means to demonstrate the capacity of their combined production volumes to meet demand for the metal in Europe.
A representative of DUBAL's Marketing & Sales department will also deliver a presentation during the coincident conference. Entitled "The role of the Middle East aluminium industry in a global context", the content of the presentation will touch on the growing significance of the Middle East as a key global primary aluminium supplier, with special emphasis on the potential aluminium supply boom between 2010 and 2015 and its probable market impact. With five smelters in the region — two in the UAE plus one each in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar — the total primary aluminium production of the Gulf region is expected to approximate 3.7 million metric tonnes per annum (9 per cent of world production). The volume is expected to reach 10 million metric tonnes per annum by 2015 (estimated at 18 per cent of world production).
Sultan Al Sabri (General Manager Marketing & Sales: Europe & North America) says that Europe is a strategically important market for DUBAL. "In terms of geographic, economic and freight perspectives, the Middle East is ideally located to serve Europe," he says. "DUBAL has been active in the region since 1996 and maintains a comprehensive infrastructure of discharge port facilities and warehouses that, together, enable timely deliveries to end-users of across Europe. Our Zurich office, which opened two years ago, will also be represented at our stand, to facilitate marketing and customer liaison during the exhibition."
In terms of a contractual agreement, DUBAL is responsible for marketing EMAL products. The arrangement allows EMAL to benefit from the long-standing relationships built by DUBAL across the world as well as the existing systems, structures and services established by DUBAL over the years. The EMAL product mix — comprising remelt aluminium and standard commodity ingot and sow, as well as sheet ingot and billets — complements DUBAL's product range. "We will be promoting two of EMAL's product lines specifically — slabs and sheet ingot — to the European market during ALUMINIUM 2010," continues Al Sabri. "Two large contracts with major players have already been secured for these products and delivery into Europe began in the third quarter of this year. It's very exciting as we've been able to enter the rolling industry, which includes end-users such in the packaging, aerospace, medical and can manufacturing industries; and is an entirely new market segment for us."
Having experienced a reduction in the production shipped to Europe in 2009, as a result of the global economic recession, DUBAL expects that the levels of metal it has historically sold into the region to be restored. "The joint participation of DUBAL and EMAL at ALUMINIUM 2010 forms part of a strategy to position both companies to pursue the anticipated opportunities in the European market," comments Al Sabri. "From DUBAL's perspective, the plan is to liaise with our existing customers in Europe as well as to network with other exhibitors and potential customers."
As ALUMINIUM 2010 covers the entire value chain within the aluminium industry, DUBAL will therefore also use the event to promote its advanced, proprietary DX Reduction Technology. Operating stably at higher amperages (approximately 370 kA), DX Reduction Technology cells offer increased productivity, improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact compared to lower amperage technologies. DX Reduction Technology has already been implemented in a dedicated 40-cell potline within DUBAL's Jebel Ali smelter complex and licensed to EMAL Phase I (comprising 756 cells in two potlines).
DUBAL's delegation to ALUMINIUM 2010 will include four representatives of the company's Marketing & Sales department, namely Sultan Al Sabri, Mohammed Al Mutawa, Raid Malalla and Feras Al Shamsi; as well representatives of DUBAL's Casting Operations, who intend to explore new product lines and technical innovations so as to take the company to new heights.
