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Emphasis was placed on the increased production volumes that will come on stream with the completion of the two-phased Emal development; the world-class stature and standards upheld by the two operations; their commitment to customer-centric innovation; and their global reach in terms of delivery networks.
Commenting on the rationale behind the joint participation, Dubal's Sultan Al Sabri (Senior Marketing Manager: Europe and US), said that, in terms of geographic and economic perspectives, the UAE is ideally located to serve Europe. Indeed, Dubal has been active in the European market since 1996 and has enjoyed excellent growth ever since, despite the 6 per cent duty imposed by the EU on GCC imports payable.
He added that the demand for aluminium in Europe resulting in a net shortage of metal units that is currently satisfied through metal imports. "Import volumes are likely to grow in the foreseeable future, reflecting a combination of ever-increasing consumption levels and the probable shut-down of smelters in Europe due to higher energy prices and environmental concerns," said Al Sabri. "We are confident that the signature of the EU-GCC Free Trade Agreement, the lobbying for which has been supported extensively by Dubal, will pave the way for substantial growth for UAE industry in the future."
The two companies' ability to leverage this potential will be enhanced by Dubal's established infrastructure of port facilities and warehouses that enables Just-In-Time deliveries direct to end-users across the region. "Europe is an important part of Dubal's future strategy, which includes significant growth in our annual production volumes through lateral investment and involvement in green-field smelter developments in the MENA region, with projects in Algeria and Saudi" continued Al Sabri.
Dubal's strategic joint venture with Mubadala, an investment vehicle wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, established Emal in 2007. The aluminium production facility being built by Emal signifies a shift to the Middle East as the hub for world aluminium production. The state-of-the-art aluminium complex is being built at Al Taweelah, in the Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone, half way between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
"Europe is a critical market for the sale of the additional metal yield from UAE smelters, especially when the many logistics and cost benefits to end-users are taken into consideration. As such, we are intent on making Europe one of our key strategic markets,"
concluded Al Sabri.
The CEO of Emal, Duncan Hedditch agreed with Al Sabri, and said:
"Emal is constructing what will become the world's largest, single-site aluminium smelter. The use of advanced, local technology - and a guaranteed supply of gas from the Abu Dhabi government for a production capacity per annum of 1.4 million tonnes - puts Emal in an excellent position to meet the needs of clients in Europe and other global markets."
Al Sabri concluded by saying that Essen 2008 offered an important platform for Dubal and Emal to liaise with the former's existing customers in Europe as well as to network with other exhibitors and potential customers. Accordingly, a team of senior Dubal and Emal officials were present to interact with delegates and participants during the exhibition: "It was an extremely productive event, offering good returns on our joint investment."
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Posted by Siba Sami Ammari
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