United Arab Emirates: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced that Amal Alsayegh, an Emirati engineer, will represent the UAE on behalf of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and EGA for the Middle East and Asia region at the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) Young Professionals Programme.

The IEC sets international standards for electrical and electronic technologies, ensuring safe and reliable products and infrastructure worldwide. The IEC has established the Young Professionals Programme since 2010 as part of its strategy to engage young professionals in the field of standardisation.

Alsayegh, a data engineer at EGA, specialises in Industry 4.0. She has been selected by the National Committee of the United Arab Emirates as one of two Emirati candidates to represent the UAE during the IEC’s Young Professionals Programme.

As part of the Programme, participants from all around the world are chosen to represent their regions and provide input in standardisation and conformity assessment work globally.

His Excellency Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of MoIAT, said: “In line with our leadership’s vision & directives, we strive to empower our youth and provide them with opportunities to grow and excel. Young people play a critical role in the industrial and advanced technology sectors, which draw local talent given their importance for the UAE’s strategy for economic growth and innovation. We are proud to see Emiratis thrive in this vital sector and will continue to upskill local talent and promote the development of the industrial sector under the objectives of Operation 300bn.”

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: "At EGA, we are dedicated to driving innovation and empowering youth, with particular focus on supporting women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This appointment reflects both EGA’s success in attracting and developing the best talent, and Amal’s own impressive capability. I congratulate her on this honour.”

The appointment is the third time an EGA engineer has been chosen by the National Committee of the United Arab Emirates to participate in the IEC Young Professionals Programme and a third consecutive appointment for a UAE National to represent the Middle East and Asia regions.

The UAE is one of few countries in the world where more women than men graduate from university in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. EGA runs programmes to inspire youth interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and is a major employer of STEM professionals, with around 1,500 people working at the company in roles in these fields.

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 2022, EGA sold 2.72 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 2022, value-added products accounted for 78 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 almost 48,000 jobs. EGA itself employs around 6,800 of these people including more than 1,200 UAE Nationals.

EGA has focused on technology development for over 30 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. EGA’s bauxite mining subsidiary, Guinea Alumina Corporation, achieved the first ASI certification in Guinea in 2023. Al Taweelah alumina refinery was certified later in 2023, with the result that EGA now has all of its global operations certified to 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 45 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