UAE to Europe aluminum sales to almost double in 2011

Khaleej Times reported that UAE aluminum producers Dubai Aluminum Company and Emirates Aluminum Company expect to almost double sales of primary aluminum to Europe in 2011 versus the previous year.

Mr Walid Al Attar senior executive for marketing and sales at Dubal and Emal an executive working for both firms said that the companies, better known as Dubal and Emal expect to sell as much as 445,000 tonnes of their output to Europe in 2011 about 194,000 tonnes of which will come from Emal.

Mr Al Attar said that in 2010, Dubal sold 230,000 tonnes of primary aluminum to Europe while Emal sold about 22,000. Dubal last year produced just above one million tonnes of hot metal at its smelter at Jebel Ali while Emal started up its new, 750,000 tonne smelter located at Taweelah in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

Mr Sultan Al Sabri Dubal’s GM for marketing and sales in Europe and North America said that despite unrest in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, the social and infrastructural development now expected in the region in the aftermath of the crisis is seen boosting demand.

Mr Al Sabri said that moreover, new markets are emerging within the greater Middle East North Africa region, as well as farther afield. The European market is of strategic importance to both Dubal and Emal. Almost 230,000 tonnes of Dubal metal reached Europe’s shores in 2010. A further 22,000 tonnes of metal produced by Emal was also sold in Europe during 2010.”