Sohar Aluminium to be showcased to global experts

　　MUSCAT: For the first time in its 28-year history, the Arab International Aluminium (Arabal) conference will take place in Oman, hosted by Sohar Aluminium.

　　The conference is scheduled between November 14 and 16 in Muscat. It will bring over 400 international aluminium industry executives and experts to Oman, where they will see the developments made by Sohar Aluminium.

　　“We are trying to bring people to the area from different parts of the world to show them the effectiveness of Oman,” said Hilal Al Hinai, from Sohar Aluminium, at a press conference held here yesterday.

　　Al Hinai added that Arabal attracts big decision-makers, financers, technology buyers and industries that manufacture with aluminium. “It’s really a holistic, complete network of people interested in this area,” he said.

　　The Arabal conference, which has the theme ‘Global challenges for sustainable growth in the aluminium industry and the role of the Gulf smelters’, will feature speakers from the Omani government including Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Saadi, minister of commerce and industry and Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas.

　　There will also be speakers from the leading aluminium producers in Arabal, including Sohar Aluminium, Qatalum from Qatar, Dubal and Emal from the UAE, Alba from Bahrain, Ma’aden from Saudi Arabia and Egyptalum from Egypt.

　　Delegates at the conference will have the opportunity to visit the smelter in Sohar and see the developments at Sohar Port and Sohar Freezone. “We would like to tell the world that we in the Gulf can contribute to the economy, the technology and the environment,” said Aziz Daylami, from Aluminium Bahrain.

　　Much of the aluminium produced in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is exported to highly industrialised countries where it is used in automotive, construction, aerospace and IT industries, said Mohammed Yahya, of Dubal.

　　Currently, 3.5 million tonnes of aluminium is produced annually at the six existing smelters in the GCC, which is nearly 15 per cent of global output. Aluminium production in the Gulf is expected to reach 25 per cent of global output in the next decade. Recent discoveries of bauxite in Saudi Arabia could increase this.

　　“We used to talk about reaching 10 per cent of world production. Now we’re reaching 15 per cent. This is a sign of growth in the region,” said Arabal’s chairman, Mohammed Al Naki.

　　The three-year-old smelter in Sohar is the newest in the GCC, but it is already producing at 70 per cent (capacity utilisation). There are also industries in Oman manufacturing with locally produced aluminium, so development here is strong, Al Hinai said.

　　“The aluminium industry is one of the best employers in the region in terms of numbers employed,” Al Hinai added, also noting that growth in Sohar Aluminium will lead to many more jobs for Omanis.

　　Given the fast rise of Sohar Aluminium, Al Naki said it’s appropriate for Oman to host the Arabal conference. “We are delighted that Oman will now host this prestigious event for the first time — reflecting the successful inauguration and rapid growth of Sohar Aluminium,” he said.

　　　Representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s leading aluminium producers announcing the ‘Arabal’ conference to the media in Muscat, yesterday.