EGA's Ambassador Programme reaches more than 13,000 students to encourage careers in STEM

United Arab Emirates : Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, announced today that it has now reached more than 13,000 UAE students through the company’s Ambassador Programme since its inception in 2019.

EGA’s Ambassador Programme is led by young UAE National engineers and professionals, who discuss with students the practical application of their studies in industry. The objective is to encourage young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, all critical fields for the development of the UAE’s industrial economy.

Ambassador Programme sessions have been held at most major universities, including the American University of Sharjah, UAE University, Khalifa University and the Higher Colleges of Technology. EGA’s ambassadors are often graduates of the universities they visit.

At the start of the pandemic, EGA made its Ambassador Programme virtual to support distance learning.

EGA Chief Executive Officer, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, said: “To achieve our bold national industrial development strategy Operation 300bn, it is important that young people who study science, technology, engineering and maths go on to pursue careers in these fields. Some of the best people to inspire these students are their immediate predecessors. I would like to congratulate our young professionals who have educated and mentored more than 13,000 students, far exceeding our initial ambitions for the programme.”

Professor Saud Aldajah, Executive Dean – Faculty of Engineering Technology & Science, Higher Colleges of Technology said: “EGA’s Ambassador Programme events help our students understand the importance of what they are studying for the future development of the country, and how they can apply the skills they are learning in the next stage of their lives. The transition to hosting the seminars virtually was a seamless experience for our students and shows EGA’s commitment to maintaining these high-quality learning sessions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In addition to the virtual sessions, EGA’s Ambassador Programme also hosted an online career fair, which took place in June earlier this year. The interactive sessions provided guidance to students on how to be better prepared for their professional lives and the steps to take to develop their future careers.

As students take a deep dive into their textbooks ahead of the end of the term exam period, EGA is planning to re-commence its Ambassador Programme in January 2022 to engage with new students in the coming year.

Professor Sameer Al-Asheh, of the American University of Sharjah said: “Establishing a strong link between academia and industry is key to filling the significant skills need for Operation 300bn, and we look forward to continuing this important initiative with EGA into 2022.”

A national industrial champion, EGA is a significant employer of graduates of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related disciplines, employing more than 1,500 professionals in these fields including over 500 UAE Nationals.

-Ends- 

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 2020, EGA sold 2.52 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 recent years over 80 per cent of EGA’s production has been value added products, one of the highest proportions of any aluminium company in the world. In 2020, value added products made up 72 per cent of total sales despite EGA’s flexing of its product mix in response to fluctuating market demand caused by COVID-19’s impact on world manufacturing.

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 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 

© Press Release 2021