United Arab Emirates, 14 October 2022: The Youth Council of Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, hosted the first ‘Youth in Manufacturing & Technology Forum’, bringing together Youth Councils from manufacturing and technology-led organisations to drive forward Operation 300bn and the UAE Centennial 2071 goal of creating a diversified knowledge economy.

The forum at EGA’s Al Taweelah site brought together over 15 Youth Councils from entities including Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, DP World, Du, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Emirates National Oil Company, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Emirates Steel Arkan, Etihad Airways, Etihad Rail, Etisalat, Microsoft, Roads and Transport Authority, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Youth Advisory Council on Sustainable Development Goals, Global Shapers Community by World Economic Forum and Yahsat.

Created by the EGA Youth Council, the forum aims to foster future cooperation between key industries to progress the goal of more than doubling the size of the UAE’s industrial sector by 2031. The forum also aims to strengthen connections between innovative and technology-led major companies and organisations to further strengthen the UAE’s knowledge economy. 

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “I congratulate EGA's Youth Council on creating this forum and hosting the first meeting at our company.  At EGA, we continue to focus on developing our youth and strive to empower national talent to lead the country in all aspects of society. The 'Youth in Manufacturing & Technology Forum’ promises to be an important way for future leaders of these sectors to form the relationships and ideas they will need for many years to come.

Hala Al Hashmi, Chair of EGA’s Youth Council and a senior engineer in the company’s Quality & Lean Department, said: “As young people in industry, it will be our responsibility to build on the achievements of the first 50 years of the UAE to create an even more prosperous and advanced society over the next 50, with sustainability at the core. This forum brings together youth leaders from many of the UAE’s leading manufacturing and technology-led organisations, laying the foundations for the collaboration we will need for success over the coming decades.”

EGA’s Youth Council was established in 2018 to enable the company’s young UAE National employees to develop into innovative leaders and pacesetters for change in the nation. Over 700 of EGA’s Emirati employees are under the age of 35.