In November, one of the most awaited events of the Gulf Region

Dubai is fast becoming the business centre of the Middle East, which in turn is benefiting from the powerful social and economic forces driving the region’s development. The aluminium industry, in particular, is flourishing. According to industry analysts, the Middle East produced 7% of the 38 million tonnes of the metal produced in 2007 (up from 1% in 1980).
Furthermore, the region has the potential to produce up to 10 million tonnes of the 60 million tonnes annual consumption predicted for 2020. The growth trend is fuelled by several factors. Foremost, the increasing demand for aluminium worldwide is creating a need for additional production capacity.
Secondly, the Gulf region has 70% of the world’s known oil reserves and 40% of its gas reserves, placing the Middle East in an excellent position to provide gas in abundance. This has lead to joint venture partnerships between leading aluminium producers and national government agencies to develop smelters.
At least six new green-field smelters are in varying stages of completion in four GCC countries, notably the UAE, Oman (Sohar Aluminium began production in June 2008), Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Increases in production capacity are planned (or completed) at existing smelters.
These developments are not only changing the dynamics of the aluminium industry in the Gulf, but are also yielding distinctive challenges. The upcoming 13th International Arab Aluminium Conference and Exhibition (Arabal) - to be hosted by Dubai Aluminium Company Limited, Dubal, at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, from 9 to 12 November 2008 - aims to address these issues. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, Arabal 2008 offers a platform for specialists and major aluminium companies from the Arab world to transfer their experiences and exchange information with the regional aluminium smelters and other downstream companies. By tradition, Arabal brings together key decision-makers from the global and Middle East aluminium industries and is considered an ideal place for leading companies, suppliers and service providers to promote their brands, meet potential customers and entertain existing clients. This year, the event is once again expected to attract relevant participants from the aluminium industry regionally and internationally. Accordingly, the quality of the speakers and the papers presented will be maintained at the highest levels. Respected authorities will address the theme - The changing dynamics of the aluminium industry in the Gulf Region - while special emphasis will be placed on industrial development in the GCC, the aluminium industry’s role in the process, and good trade relations with leading market economies. Over the years, Arabal has evolved into one of the most important events in the international aluminium industry calendar. The event has been held every second year since 1983, with the hosting the prestigious event rotating between the major aluminium producers in the Arab world - namely Kuwait Aluminium, Alba, Dubal and Egyptal.
As a founding member of the Arabal forum, Dubal’s current sponsorship of the event is the fourth in Arabal’s 25-year history - the previous occasions being in 1987, 1995 and 2001.
An estimated 500 delegates are expected to attend Arabal 2008, which promises to be one of the best of its kind ever.
Dubal’s sponsorship of Arabal is evidence of the company’s interest in the sustainability of the aluminium industry, as demonstrated by investing considerably in the sector. The company has grown in parallel with the boom in the Middle East: six expansion phases since Dubal’s inception in 1979, have resulting in the number of aluminium reduction cells in its Jebel Ali plant increasing from 360 initially to 1,557 currently. In 2007, the company produced approximately 890,000 tonnes of high quality molten aluminium.
Over the years, the company has realized the vision of His Highness the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who said «Dubal will provide the industrial platform for the diversification of Dubai’s economy». Today, Dubal is the seventh largest aluminium smelter in the world, one of the largest single-site aluminium smelters in the western world and one of the leading non-oil contributors to the economy of Dubai. Widely regarded as Dubai’s industrial flagship, Dubal provides a major stimulus to the local economy, contributing to the nation’s economic stability as well as its continued growth and development.