Dubai Aluminium raises brand profile in USA

Dubai Aluminium Company Limited （"DUBAL"） — one of the world's largest single-site producers of primary aluminium and the UAE's industrial flagship — has successfully raised awareness of its in brand North and Latin America, thanks to the company's partner sponsorship of the 3rd Annual Aluminium Market Trends & Outlook Conference, organized and hosted by Harbor Intelligence in Chicago, USA, from 21 to 23 June 2010.

Attended by about 160 delegates representing a broad cross-section of the aluminium sector — from producers and consultants through to end-user customers — the event provided a sound opportunity to promote DUBAL as a leading player in the rapidly emerging aluminium hub in the Middle East. The agenda comprised high calibre presentations during which expert aluminium sector analysts shared the best available aluminium market analysis and price views to aluminium buyers and sellers. The line-up of speakers included DUBAL's Uday Patel （Manager - Business Analysis）, who delivered a presentation entitled "The aluminium output boom in the Middle East in a global context" during a session dedicated to the significance of the Middle East as a key global aluminium supplier.

Patel's presentation was well received and generated interest in DUBAL and the Middle East's aluminium industry — as evidenced by delegates' questions posed during the session's panel discussion and verbal sales enquiries received. The DUBAL-sponsored lunch on the first day of the event helped reinforce awareness of the brand and generated further interest in metal supply.

Clearly pleased at the outcome, Walid Al Attar （Executive Vice President: Marketing & Sales） says that North and Latin America are important markets for DUBAL. "On average, some 7 per cent of the DUBAL's annual sales volumes in recent years has been shipped to North America. With DUBAL having been contracted to market the aluminium products manufactured by Emirates Aluminium Company Limited （"EMAL"） — the green-field smelter development in Abu Dhabi in which DUBAL has a 50 per cent shareholding with Mubadala Development Company, where EMAL Phase 1 is currently in ramp-up stage — the annual volume of metal offered to the market by DUBAL is set to rise substantially in the near-term. Through our involvement in this event, we have bolstered our brand and our corporate reputation, which in time will generate opportunities to sell more aluminium from the Middle East into the Americas."