20th Arab International Aluminium Conference (“ARABAL”)
DAY 1 – CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
23 November 2016 : The 20th Arab International Aluminium Conference (“ARABAL”) got under way today at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE. Emirates Global Aluminium (“EGA”) is hosting the two-day conference, which continues tomorrow (23 November). ARABAL is the only event of its kind staged by all the primary aluminium producers in the region and brings together leaders from the international aluminium industry to discuss global challenges to the industry and suitable solutions.
The conference kicked off with a keynote address delivered by Abdulla Kalban (MD & CEO of EGA), on the direction of the aluminium market in a volatile oil price environment. The audience was fascinated to learn about the impact on the region’s economy and, in particular, how the UAE has maintained a balanced budget. The region’s continued efforts to diversify the economy away from fossil fuels while simultaneously increasing efficiency and productivity was also highlighted, along with further opportunities for foreign investment.
The conference continued with top executives from the Arab aluminium smelters participating in a keynote panel discussion on market trends, as well as upstream expansion in the regional primary aluminium industry.
The panel comprised Jorge Vazquez (Founder & Managing Director, Harbor Aluminium Intelligence) as the moderator, with Abdulla Kalban (MD &CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium); Tim Murray (CEO, Aluminium Bahrain BSC); Abdulaziz Al Harbi (President, Ma’aden Aluminium); Said Mohamed Al Masoudi (CEO, Sohar Aluminium); Khalid Mohamed Laram (CEO, Qatalum); and Abd Elzaher Abd Elsattar (Chairman & CEO, The Aluminium Co. Egypt) as the panellists.
Another highlight on the first day of ARABAL 2016 was the session dedicated to China’s influence in the market. Speakers Paul Adkins (MD, AZ China) and Wan Ling (Assistant Chief Representative China Office & Head of Asia, Aluminium, CRU), put the spotlight on China’s economic slowdown and how this affects the global aluminium industry in terms of the demand outlook, impacts on the rest of the world and increasing cost competitiveness.
The full ARABAL 2016 conference programme and speaker faculty can be found at