Top experts will discuss economic diversification efforts in the region and the role of aluminium sector as the anchor of GCC's industrial growth at the 20th Arab International Aluminium Conference (Arabal), to be held next month, in Dubai, UAE.

The event will take place from November 22 to 24, at the Madinat Jumeirah.

The keynote address at the event will outline the direction of the market in a volatile oil price environment by examining the immediate and long-term impact of increased economic pressure on the Middle East. It will assess the continued diversification efforts and look at increasing efficiency, productivity and opportunities for investment, said a statement.

As a rapidly growing hub in the global aluminium industry, the region and its dynamics are of keen interest to players from across the world, and renowned as the leading aluminium industry event in the Middle East, the annual Arabal conference attracts a large international audience, it said.

This year’s event is being hosted by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for the sixth time and will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.

More than 2,000 participants from 20 countries are expected to attend the conference, said a statement.
 
Abdulla Kalban, managing director and CEO, said: “The UAE’s primary aluminium smelters – EGA Jebel Ali and EGA Al Taweelah – are the anchor of industrial economic growth in the UAE.”

“Together with the five other Middle East smelters in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the primary aluminium industry is the genesis of the broader industrialisation of the wider region,” he said.

“Arabal provides a perfect platform to examine the historical influence of the sector in creating value for the economy through technology innovation, job creation and economic output, as well as how to move forward and maintain GDP growth in a volatile economic climate,” he added.

In 2015, the Middle East primary aluminium industry’s combined production was 5.59 million tonnes – almost 10 per cent of the total world production. As a result, all six primary aluminium producers generate substantial contributions to their respective nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). By 2020, EGA’s contribution to the UAE GDP is forecast at about $3 billion direct and $5 billion indirect with gross exports of about $7 billion, it said.

In the GCC, the aluminium industry provides direct employment to about 12,000 people and indirect employment to another 30,000 people. Efforts are focused on nationalisation by consciously recruiting nationals, providing training and skills development opportunities, and fast-tracking talented nationals into management positions, it stated.

In keeping with the conference theme of “Global Challenges – Seeking Solutions”, the Industry keynote panel for the event will focus on the implications of fluctuating energy prices and corresponding policy changes, and delve deeper into the downstream industry including expansions, product mix dynamics, financial elements, raw materials and upstream integration.

The panelists will include Abdulla Kalban; Tim Murray, CEO, Aluminium Bahrain; Abdelzaher Abdelsattar Hassan, chairman and CEO, Egyptalum; Abdulaziz Al Harbi, president, Ma’aden Aluminium; Khalid Mohammed Laram, CEO, Qatalum; Said Mohamed Al Masoudi, CEO, Sohar Aluminium; with Jorge Vazquez, founder, Harbor Intelligence, as the moderator, it added. – TradeArabia News Service