United Arab Emirates: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside of oil and gas, today held a special ceremony led by Chief Executive Officer Abdulnasser Bin Kalban to thank employees who selflessly contributed their time and energy as volunteers at the world’s greatest show, Expo 2020.

Between October 2021 and March 2022, the first world’s fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020, welcomed over 25 million guests, and brought the world closer to the UAE than ever before.

EGA volunteers enthusiastically guided guests around the pavilions of visiting nations, assisted Expo 2020 on-ground teams, and provided additional support wherever needed across the 4.3km2 site, during day and night shifts. EGA employees also volunteered at the Investment Corporation of Dubai pavilion.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA said: “The success of the world’s greatest show could not have been achieved without the great work of the thousands of volunteers who devoted their time and effort to Expo 2020. I am proud that some of these volunteers were colleagues from EGA, who represented the United Arab Emirates and our company at this landmark event for our nation.”

Amal Alsayegh, System Senior Analyst – Production IT at EGA, said: “Being a part of Expo 2020 was a great honour and the opportunity of a lifetime. I have volunteered for many events in the past, but the main difference is that Expo 2020 was attended by people from all corners of the world, here in Dubai. To me, even though I live in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, this was the first time I had interacted with people from so many different countries.  I learnt new languages, cultures, and customs. I am grateful to EGA for giving us the opportunity to be part of this great event.”

EGA has a bold aspiration to be the #1 industrial employer of choice in the countries where it operates, and volunteering activities are actively supported through the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Club’, which is open to any EGA employee who would like to volunteer their time either during or outside working hours.

EGA has been awarded the Dubai Chamber CSR Label for outstanding effort in corporate social responsibility three times, most recently in 2021. The Dubai Chamber CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry aims to recognise companies that deliver corporate social responsibility projects to international standards with local relevance.

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Contacts at EGA:
Simon Buerk
sbuerk@ega.ae

About EGA

Since 1975, when it was founded as Dubai Aluminium by His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Global Aluminium has been innovating aluminium to make modern life possible.

Today EGA is the world’s biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer and the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil and gas industry.

EGA is equally-owned by Mubadala Investment Company of Abu Dhabi and the Investment Corporation of Dubai. It is the largest company jointly owned by the two Emirates.

EGA is an integrated aluminium producer, with operations from bauxite mining to the production of cast primary aluminium. EGA operates aluminium smelters in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah, an alumina refinery in Al Taweelah and a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea.

EGA’s aluminium is the second largest made-in-the UAE export after oil and gas. In 2021, EGA sold 2.54 million tonnes of cast metal. EGA is the only UAE producer and makes the UAE the fifth largest aluminium producing nation in the world.

EGA has more than 400 customers in over 50 countries. In 2021, value-added products accounted for 84 per cent of EGA’s cast metal sales.

EGA’s aluminium is primarily used in the construction, automotive, packaging, aerospace and electronics industries.

Around 10 per cent of EGA’s aluminium production is sold in the UAE to around 26 downstream aluminium companies that make products with EGA’s aluminium. The growing broader aluminium sector in the UAE supports 60,950 jobs. EGA itself employs over 7,000 of these people including almost 1,200 UAE Nationals.

EGA has focused on technology development for over 25 years. EGA has used its own technology for every smelter expansion since the 1990s and has retrofitted all its older production lines. In 2016 EGA became the first UAE industrial company to licence its core industrial process technology internationally.

As a corporate citizen of the UAE, EGA aspires in all its operations to be measured amongst the world’s leading metals and mining companies in meeting its environmental and social responsibilities. In 2017, EGA became the first Middle East headquartered company to join the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, a global programme to foster greater sustainability and transparency in the aluminium industry. In 2019, EGA’s Al Taweelah site became the first in the Middle East to receive certification from ASI for its sustainability practices and performance. EGA’s Jebel Ali site was certified in 2021. ASI certification is the aluminium industry’s internationally recognised standard for environmental and social performance and governance.

In 2021, EGA began production of CelestiAL solar aluminium, produced with solar power from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park on the outskirts of Dubai. EGA is the first company in the world to make aluminium commercially using the power of the sun.

EGA was formed in 2014 through the merger of Dubai Aluminium and Emirates Aluminium.

EGA’s Jebel Ali aluminium smelter began production as DUBAL in 1979. At almost five square kilometres, this site is five times bigger than Dubai Mall.

EMAL started production in 2009 and its Al Taweelah aluminium smelter was the largest single-site aluminium smelter in the world when completed. EGA’s Al Taweelah site is five times bigger than Al Maryah Island at six square kilometres.

EGA has its own power stations at both sites, producing electricity to meet its needs. EGA’s electricity generation capacity is 6,474 megawatts, making EGA the third largest electricity generator in the UAE after the Dubai and Abu Dhabi utilities. EGA also produces water through desalination units at its power plants.

EGA began production at Al Taweelah alumina refinery in April 2019. EGA’s alumina refinery is the first in the UAE and only the second in the Middle East. The project reduces the UAE’s dependence on imported alumina and supplies over 40 per cent of EGA’s needs.

Bauxite exports from Guinea Alumina Corporation, EGA’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Guinea, began in August 2019. The GAC project was one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in over 40 years.

For more information on EGA please visit www.ega.ae.