GCC states make significant headway in aluminium production

The member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are making great strides in aluminium production. Together accounting for 15 per cent of global aluminium production, they are making significant headway, while simultaneously focusing on cost rationalisation and productivity enhancement.

Abdulaziz A Al Harbi, Ma’aden Aluminium’s president, said recently, GCC aluminium producers were cashing in high on factors like availability quality bauxite and moderate power tariffs to boost their smelting capacity.

He noted that Ma’aden seeks to have a full production chain starting from extracting raw materials to producing final products. He said this while elaborating on Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify the economic base and expand investments in non-oil industries, such as the manufacturing industry.

Abdulla Jasim M bin Kalban, Chief Executive of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), said aluminium industry investments by the UAE are estimated to reach $5 billion between 2015 and 2020.

According to a recently published report, Bin Kalban estimated his country’s total investments in aluminium industry since 2006 to be standing at around $20bn.

He further added that the UAE will continue to make investments to take the output capacity of the UAE aluminium industry to 2.7 million tonnes a year by 2020. It is to be noted that approximately 87.5 per cent of the country’s aluminium production is exported to the global markets.