Sohar Aluminium, the host and organiser of the 2017 Arab International Aluminium Conference (Arabal), has announced the full programme for the global industry event, to be held next month in Oman.

The event will take place from November 7 to 9, in Muscat, and will comprise a conference and exhibition featuring over 60 international experts under the theme of ‘Driving Strategic Growth across the Global Aluminium Industry’.

First launched in Kuwait in 1983, Arabal member organisations Sohar Aluminium, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), Egyptalum, Qatalum, Ma’aden and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) represent all of the primary aluminium manufacturers in the Middle East, said a statement.

Mohammed Al Naki, chairman of Arabal, said: “The event provides the ideal platform to showcase how our smelters in Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have become a global force in aluminium production and spur broader industrial economic growth.”

“With this region accounting for approximately 10 per cent of global aluminium production in 2016, this event continues to highlight the importance of the industry to the Middle East in alignment with governmental efforts towards economic diversification,” he said.
 
Regarded as the leading aluminium industry event in the Middle East, Arabal 2017 will attract over 500 delegates from 30 countries. The conference is held annually and hosted on a rotational basis.  Said Al Masoudi, Arabal 2017 host and CEO of Sohar Aluminium, explained that the members of Arabal are primary examples of how quickly smelters in this region have been able to supply international markets and add value to national economies.

He added: “This region is now a key supplier to a growing market with global demand for aluminium estimated to reach 70 million metric tonnes per year by 2020. This industry also plays a major role in job creation, with the six smelters providing 40,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, with a focus on nationalization and growing local talent.”

The Arabal 2017 conference programme will address a cross-section of global and regional issues, including future supply and demand, market pricing forecasts, warehousing, technology, automation, renewable energy and waste management.

The most anticipated session of the event is the Industry Keynote Panel, which will focus on identifying the challenges and opportunities for the Middle East’s aluminium sector as new supply and demand centres emerge.

In addition to the conference, delegates and partners will be taken by this year’s host Sohar Aluminium, on a private site tour of its smelter and its facilities, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service