Manama (ALBH): Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), a leading player in the aluminium smelter landscape, announced the appointment of Hisham Alkooheji as the new Acting Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective 01 February 2024, following the resignation of the current CMO Khalid A. Latif.

Alkooheji started out in Alba as an Operational Excellence specialist in 2011 then was appointed as the Head of Compliance and Pricing - Marketing in 2016. From 2018 to 2020, he was assigned the roles of Manager Customer Services & Marketing Operations in addition to Manager Sales Middle East & Africa, during which he was responsible for Alba’s global export logistics and Casthouse production planning. In 2021, he was promoted to Director of Marketing Middle East, Africa and Asia where he managed a substantial portfolio exceeding 950,000 metric tonnes per annum.

Commenting on this occasion, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali stated:

“Hisham Alkooheji’s journey from within Alba to this leadership position not only celebrates his achievements but also reflects our commitment to develop our Bahraini nationals to senior roles in the Company. This shows that when you put in the hard work and demonstrate exceptional leadership, anything is possible, and I wish him the very best in this new role.”

Adding further, Al Baqali stated:

“On behalf of my team, I also take this opportunity to thank Khalid A. Latif for all his achievements and contributions as the CMO to Alba. We wish him well in his next chapter.”

Alba’s Acting Chief Marketing Officer, Hisham Alkooheji stated:

“I'm excited to spearhead the Company's Marketing strategy and usher it in a new era of growth with the support of Alba’s Executive team. Building on the strong foundation laid by the departing CMO, I am eager to drive positive change and transformation alongside our Marketing team.”

Hisham holds a Master of Business Administration from the College of William & Mary, USA, and Master’s in International Business & Finance as well as a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Reading in the UK.

About Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)

At plus-1.62 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) (2023), Alba is one of the largest smelters in the world with more than 50 years of excellence in Operations, Safety, Environment and Socio-Economic Development.

A blue-chip asset of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Alba produces high-quality Aluminium products in the form of Standard and Value-Added Products (VAP)s, which are exported to more than 240 global customers through its sales offices in Europe (Zurich), Asia (Singapore) and subsidiary office in the U.S. Alba is dual listed on Bahrain Bourse and London Stock Exchange and its shareholders are Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company B.S.C. © (69.38%), SABIC Industrial Investments Company (SIIC) (20.62%) and General Public (10%). Alba holds globally-recognised certifications such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) and ASI Performance Standard Certification and Ecovadis Certification.

As the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East, Alba sits at the heart of a thriving aluminium downstream sector in Bahrain, which accounts for approximately 12% of the Kingdom's GDP. As one of the biggest national companies, it has ensured not only the employment of Bahrain nationals (85% in 2022) but also the enhancement of their capabilities through education, training, and development initiatives at every stage of their career.

Alba is recognised as one of the top industrial companies in the world with high standards in Environment practices, Social contribution and Corporate Governance. Launched in February 2022, the Company’s ESG Roadmap outlines 6 priority areas - (1) Decarbonisation, (2) Green Energy & Aluminium, (3) Circular Economy & Secondary Aluminium, (4) Employee Welfare, (5) Collaboration & Partnership and (6) Transparency, Communications & Due Diligence. Since its inception, Alba has invested into numerous environment, sustainable and socio-economic development projects that have had a positive impact on the society. Alba’s first-of-its-kind US$37.5 million zero-waste Spent Pot Lining Treatment Plant, the upcoming 5-7 MW Solar Farm Project and the Power Station 5 Block 4 Project are tangible efforts to meet the goals of the Net Zero Carbon targets by 2060 led by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. Alba will also play a crucial role in the upcoming Aluminium Downstream Park, which will increase the contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP of Bahrain.

Alba’s motto ‘Safety First, Safety Always’ has ensured that the Safety and well-being of its employees and contractors’ workforce remain a top priority. The Company broke all previous records in Safety and topped 30 million Safe working-hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI) on 01 September 2022 for the first-time in its history. The Company has been recognised internationally for its excellent Safety and Health track record with awards such as the RoSPA Gold Medal Award (9 years in a row) and International Safety Award with Merit from British Safety Council, as well as six major National Safety Council (NSC) USA awards for 2021. Alba has also been recognised for its initiatives to produce Aluminium responsibly through awards such as Top ESG performer in Bahrain by ESG Invest, Safeguard Label from Bureau Veritas and Best Corporate Governance Award by Ethical Boardroom.

Alba Power Station 5 Block 4 Expansion Project

Alba Power Station 5 (PS5) Block 4 is a Combined Cycle Power Plant that is an expansion of the existing PS5.

PS5 Block 4 Project is the addition of a fourth Block of similar 1:1:1 configuration with J-class gas turbine technology and with minimum nominal ISO rating of a 680.9 MW and includes tie into the existing 220kV Substation. The efficiency of this combined cycle power plant is much higher than the combined cycle power plants of PS3 and PS4. On completion of PS5 Block 4 Expansion Project, the nameplate capacity of PS5 will increase from 1,800 MW to 2,481 MW.

Mitsubishi Power & SEPCOIII consortium will be responsible to design, engineer, procure, construct and commission Block 4. PS5 Block 4 commercial operations are expected to begin in Q4 2024.

Alba Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Alba’s ‘Stakeholder Engagement Plan’ outlines the Company’s communication with all its stakeholders including the community, the Environment and Social impacts as well as mitigation controls for its operations in addition to its external Grievance Mechanism through the Code of Conduct, for any stakeholder(s) or the public to raise any concerns or issues.

Alba’s External Grievance Mechanism

Alba Integrity Line is an independently operated confidential reporting hotline for all stakeholders, employees, contractors and commercial partners, and broader community, to report on a confidential basis, any potential breaches of Alba’s Code of Conduct, as well as Environment and Social (E&S) Impacts. Alba Integrity Line is available in multiple languages - via a toll-free phone system or via the intranet and the Company’s website www.albasmelter.com 24 hours a day.

For further details, please contact:
Eline Hilal
Director, Investor Relations, Insurance & Corporate Secretary
Investor Relations Department
E-mail:   eline.hilal@alba.com.bh
Website: www.albasmelter.com

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