Dubai Investments' Masharie unit eyes record extruded aluminium production

Masharie, the private equity arm of Dubai Investments (DI), has announced plans to expand its extruded aluminium production capacity by over 10,000 tonnes per annum as demand from downstream industries, transportation and electrical sectors surges across the UAE and GCC.

Masharie subsidiary Emirates Extrusion Factory (EEF), a leading aluminium extrusion company based in Techno Park Dubai, is commissioning its third extrusion line by July 2016, which will increase the production capacity by 6,000 metric tonnes per annum.

EEF will also start its new powder coating plant with an annual capacity of 5,500-6,000 metric tonnes by July this year.

Another Masharie subsidiary White Aluminium Extrusion (WAE) - a leader in aluminium and glazing sector - is set to commission an anodizing plant with knowhow from Italy and a capacity of nearly 4,800 metric tonnes per annum in the second quarter of 2016 as demand for aluminium products surges amidst rampant construction and other downstream projects in the region.

EEF and WAE, which export 70 per cent of its extruded aluminium profiles, are also targeting new markets as part of their international expansion strategy, with a strong focus on Africa, GCC and Middle East. The companies currently export to over 26 countries across the GCC, Africa, Asia and Europe, with key markets being Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, among others.

EEF, which achieved a turnover of nearly Dh120 million ($32.6 million) in 2015, and WAE which registered Dh150 million ($41 million) turnover last year, are both eyeing strong growth in 2016 as demand from downstream industries surges across the UAE and GCC. Nearly 85 per cent of EEF and WAE’s products are earmarked for architectural applications in construction sector and the balance 15 per cent is used for industrial applications.

Khalfan Al Suwaidi, the managing director of EEF and WAE, said: "Both the firms are building on its market leadership as demand surges for high-quality aluminium systems for architectural as well as downstream applications."

"We will continue to focus on exports in the medium to long-term as there is a huge demand for our products in growing markets across the GCC, Africa, Middle East and the Levant. A spurt in construction has put added demand for aluminium profiles at our plants," observed Al Suwaidi.

"There have been significant investments in the transportation, electrical and industrial sectors across GCC countries, and there is increasing demand for aluminium products for these sectors," he added.

According to him, GCC’s aluminium industry is all set to become a major global powerhouse after ramping up new production records with new facilities.

"EEF and WAE are also engaging their experience with a couple of system providers to focus more on prestigious projects in the UAE, GCC and North Africa, providing test and quality assurance certifications," he added.