DUBAL And EMAL To Participate Jointly At The Commodity Research Unit’s 16th World Aluminium Conference

The key players in the UAE's primary aluminium industry Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (Dubal) and Emirates Aluminium Company Limited (Emal) will participate jointly at the Commodity Research Unit's 16th World Aluminium Conference (CRU 2011), which takes place in Barcelona, Spain from 13 to 15 June this year.

Widely acknowledged as 'the world's authoritative aluminium events for senior executives', the annual series of CRU World Aluminium Conferences regularly attract senior executives from the aluminium industry across the world, ensuring a superb platform for DUBAL and Emal to promote both their respective companies and Dubal's proprietary world-leading DX Reduction Technology that has been implemented on industrial scale at Emal Phase I.

In addition to a combined stand in the exhibition component alongside the conference, Dubal and Emal are joint sponsors of the CRU 2011 Registration Desk and Luncheon on 14 June 2011 (Day One of the conference). Also, Dubal's Sultan Al Sabri (General Manager Marketing '&' Sales: Europe '&' North America) will deliver a presentation entitled "The outlook for the Middle Eastern Aluminium industry in light of current political turmoil" during the opening Keynote Session.

An entirely state-owned enterprise, DUBAL owns and operates a one million metric tonne per annum primary aluminium smelter at Jebel Ali, Dubai one of the largest single-site operations of its kind in the world and in 2010 produced 1,002,414 metric tonnes of hot metal. The company is renowned internationally for its premium purity, high quality products and services; as well as its commitment to sustainable development through conscious efforts to maximise the health and safety people, reduce the impact of its operations on the environment, and invest in the social and economic development of the community. Dedicated programmes support the Emiratization goals of the UAE, including targeted recruitment, skills development, management training and strategic career planning. Approximately 92% of Dubal's annual production is exported globally, the company's key markets being Asia, Europe, the Middle East North Africa ("MENA") region and North America.

A green-field development, Emal is being built in two phases at Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, and is owned jointly by Dubal and Mubadala Development Company (in equal share holding). Energizing of the 756 reduction cells in Emal Phase I, with a total capacity of 750,000 metric tonnes per annum, took place between 1 December 2009 and 31 December 2010 with full production being reached four months ahead of schedule, yet within budget. The company already enjoys a strong reputation for sound safety management, well being programmes for its employees and adopting global best practices to minimize its environmental footprint the latter entrenched through the implementation of DUBAL's in-house developed DX Reduction Technology, which offers enhanced energy efficiency and productivity levels yet lower environmental emissions than comparative technologies. These attributes are complemented by initiatives to harness Emirati talent through job-creation, engaging the community in corporate activities and celebrating the national and cultural heritage of the UAE.

With regard to the European market, Dubal made its first forays into the region fifteen years ago, in 1996. Since then, long-term partnership relationships with customers have driven consistent growth in the company's sales volumes into Europe, despite the 6% duty payable on alloyed aluminium, reaching approximately 30% of total production in 2007 (equating to more than 273,000 metric tonnes of aluminium products). Having experienced a reduction in the volumes shipped to Europe in 2009 (approximately 160,000 metric tonnes) as a result of the global economic recession, the level of metal DUBAL has historically sold into the region is gradually being restored. In 2010, almost 230,000 metric tonnes of DUBAL metal reached Europe's shores. A further 22,000 metric tonnes of metal produced by EMAL was also sold in Europe during 2010