EGA Marks 40 Years Since Aluminium Production Began In UAE

Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, marks 40 years since the first tonne of aluminium was produced in the UAE.

Since production began in November 1979 at EGA’s site in Jebel Ali– then known as Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) - the aluminium sector has grown into one of the UAE’s largest industries accounting for 1.4 per cent of the economy and supporting 60,000 UAE jobs.

In line with the vision of the UAE’s Founding Father the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to diversify the UAE’s economy, DUBAL was founded in 1975 by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. DUBAL expanded under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance of the UAE.

Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) was founded in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa directed in 2013 that EMAL and DUBAL merge to form Emirates Global Aluminium. The company has continued to expand under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

To mark the anniversary of first production, young UAE Nationals who will be responsible for EGA’s continuing success in the decades ahead are ‘running’ EGA for the day. Young Emiratis are shadowing EGA’s Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer and other Executive Committee members and participating in the company’s weekly executive leadership meeting. EGA’s Youth Council has organised shift patterns so that the supervisors on duty in every part of the production process are young UAE Nationals.

Ministers also paid tribute to EGA’s contribution to the UAE’s economy and society over the past 40 years.