Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), owner of one of the world's largest aluminium smelters, has increased its overall sales and output.

Financial results for the first quarter of the year released yesterday show an increase in overall sales topping BD206.6 million ($594.4 million) compared with BD182.3 million ($486.2 million) for the same period last year, up 13 per cent, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Net income more than doubled reaching BD37.2 million ($98.9 million) compared with BD17.1 million ($41.6 million) for the same period last year, up 117 per cent.

Sales reached 228,307 metric tonnes versus 226,472 metric tonnes for the first quarter of last year, while production rose by 2.4 per cent to 237,774 metric tonnes compared with 232,298 metric tonnes during the same period last year driven by strong operational performance.

Alba paid a final dividend of BD21 million ($56 million) in March 2015 bringing the total dividend for 2014 to BD37.9 million ($101 million).

Alba chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa praised the company's outstanding performance during the first quarter of the year lauding all staff for their contribution to such success.

Chief executive Tim Murray expressed thanks and gratitude to staff members for achieving 5m working hours without lost time injuries. - TradeArabia News Service