EGA to raise profile of UAE aluminium sector at global forum
Newly-formed aluminium giant takes centre stage at CRU 2014
UAE-based aluminium giant Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (“EGA”) says it will be using the Commodity Research Unit’s 19th World Aluminium Conference (“CRU 2014”) – being held in Hong Kong from 19 to 20 May - to raise brand awareness of the new business entity while promoting its state-of-the-art facilities, sustainable practices, high quality product portfolio and advanced technologies to the global market.
Widely acknowledged as the world’s authoritative aluminium events, the CRU World Aluminium Conferences regularly attract senior executives from the aluminium industry across the world, where they discuss issues facing the industry as a whole. As the platinum sponsor of CRU 2014, EGA will have a strong presence at the event, including a stand in the exhibition that runs alongside the conference.
EGA is the jointly-owned aluminium conglomerate formed by Mubadala Development Corporation and Investment Corporation of Dubai that combines the businesses of two of the UAE's flagship industrial companies, Dubai Aluminium PJSC (“DUBAL”) and Emirates Aluminium PJSC (“EMAL”).
The location of CRU 2014 in Hong Kong is fortuitous for EGA, given that the Far East/Asia region has been a major market for both DUBAL and EMAL since inception. Confirming the strategic importance of the Asian market, Mohammad Qanbar (EGA’s General Manager of Marketing & Sales for Asia) said the company currently exports about 39 per cent of its aluminium to Asia. EGA’s product range combines the remelt aluminium and standard commodity ingot and sow, as well as sheet ingot and billets of its EMAL operation, with the high purity sow and ingot, extrusion billet and foundry alloy from its DUBAL plant.
“Asia has traditionally been our largest market, and we still see significant growth potential in the region. Our forecasts suggest that we will sell 920,000 tonnes of primary aluminium products to Asia in 2014, compared to 737,234 tonnes in 2013,” said Qanbar.
“From a geographic, economic and freight perspective, the Middle East is ideally located to serve Asia. We are confident that demand for our products will continue to grow in the region, as industries like transportation and construction look increasingly to aluminium to produce more efficient and environmentally-friendly products.”