Qatalum takes part in Aluminium 2012 in Germany

The fair, which was in its ninth incarnation, is the world's most important platform for the aluminium industry and its application fields. As the leading B2B platform in the world for aluminium industry and its main applications, and where all the key industry players get together, the trade fair unites producers, processors, technology suppliers and consumers along the entire value chain - from raw materials through to semi-finished and finished products, surface treatment and producers of machinery, plant and equipment for aluminium processing.

At this session near Düsseldorf, innovative products and the latest technology and services from primary aluminium production to semi-finished and finished products were showcased.

This year, roughly 25,000 visitors from 100 countries attended, to see 950 visitors across 75,000 sq metres of exhibition space. Qatalum was exhibiting a stand alongside several hundred other key players including aluminium producers, aluminium processors, aluminium technology and equipment providers and suppliers. The many thousand visitors were also able to see the foundry pavilion, a welding and joining pavilion, and magnesium, trade and recycling areas.

For Qatalum, contact with such a variety of industry experts and stakeholders is crucial to retaining its place at the cutting edge of industry innovation. With a production capacity of 600,000 tonnes per annum of primary aluminium, Qatalum will provide significant support for GCC aluminium production. At full operation, the facility is expected to enhance the national GDP by approximately $1.5bn a year and lead to significant downstream diversification for the country. It is also an aluminium smelter with a low environmental impact.

As a result, Qatalum used its visibility at the Fair to highlight its environmental soundness, and marketing and other informative material was available for visitors to the stand interested in learning more. Qatalum Deputy CEO Khalid Laram was also present throughout the exhibition.

For Laram, the Fair was an unmissable opportunity. "Being a leader in an industry has risks and rewards; you must always keep moving forward so you do not sink. Part of moving forward means engaging with best thinking, new ideas, innovations and developments; and being always willing to learn," he said. "Aluminium 2012 has been a great place for us to speak to new people, engage on latest developments, as well as forge new relationships."