The potential of Dubai Aluminum Company Limited and Emirates Aluminum Company Limited the key players in the UAE's primary aluminum industry to supply metal to end-users in Europe has been successfully promoted, thanks to the joint participation of the two companies at the Commodity Research Unit's 16th World Aluminum Conference which took place in Barcelona, Spain mid June.
Several platforms were leveraged for this purpose, namely a combined stand in the exhibition component alongside the conference used to promote both companies and Dubal's proprietary world-leading DX Reduction Technology that has been implemented on industrial scale at EMAL Phase I; plus joint sponsorship of the CRU 2011 Registration Desk and luncheon on 14 June. The resulting strong presence ensured excellent exposure of the Dubal and EMAL brands to the hundreds of senior executives from the aluminum industry across the world who attended CRU 2011.
Mr Dubal's Sultan Al Sabri GM Marketing & Sales: Europe & North America delivered a presentation entitled "The outlook for the Middle Eastern Aluminum industry in light of current political turmoil" during the opening Keynote Session. Commenting specifically on the political flashpoints in the greater Middle East, he pointed out that the involvement of the GCC countries in the current unrest has been limited to Bahrain and Oman. While acknowledging that the turmoil has brought unique challenges such as reduced demand for primary aluminum higher costs of doing business, logistics issues and potential risk-aversion of inward investment and financing; the forecast impact of the Middle East crisis is fairly nominal. By contrast, the accelerated social and infrastructural development proposed across the region in the aftermath of the crisis is expected to bring increased demand and thus good growth. Moreover, new markets are emerging within the greater Middle East North Africa region as well as farther a field.
Mr Walid Al Attar executive VP Marketing & Sales of Dubal and VP Marketing & Sales of EMAL said that "The European market is nevertheless of strategic importance to both Dubal and EMAL. Having made our first forays into the region fifteen years ago, in 1996, Dubal has since built long term partnership relationships with customers that have driven consistent growth over the years. As a result almost 230,000 tonnes of Dubal metal reached Europe's shores in 2010. A further 22,000 tonnes of metal produced by EMAL was also sold in Europe during 2010. We anticipate selling about 445,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminum into Europe during 2011 of which some 194,000 metric tonnes will be from EMAL."
Mr Al Attar said that both companies' casting operations produce a variety of value adding world-class products, the EMAL product mix comprising remelt aluminum and standard commodity ingot and sow, as well as sheet ingot and billets complements Dubal's product portfolio of high purity sow and ingot, extrusion billet foundry alloy, busbars and anode bars. With the strong export potential of the Middle East and the import demand in Europe, it's extremely important that Dubal and EMAL maintain a strong presence in the region hence our joint efforts to promote our combined product portfolio at CRU 2011.
