Two years ago, in 2008, the primary aluminum producers in the Gulf region announced the formation of an organization - known as the Gulf Aluminum Council (GAC) - that would represent, promote and protect the interests of the aluminum industry within the region. Since then, much work has been done to establish the various committees of the GAC and build the foundations for progress toward the association's goals. This development work has culminated in the establishment of official GAC headquarters in Dubai on Wednesday. The Board of the GAC comprises the chief executive officers of the six founding member companies, five of which have established smelters in the region, namely: Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), Dubai Aluminium Company (DUBAL), Emirates Aluminium (EMAL), Qatar Aluminium (Qatalum), and Sohar Aluminium (Sohar), in Oman. The sixth member is Saudi Mining Company (Ma'aden), which has announced plans to develop a fully integrated complex in Saudi Arabia. Collectively, the operational smelters at Alba, DUBAL and Sohar produced more than 2 million metric tons of primary aluminum in 2009 - equating to 5.6 percent of the global market. Following the successful start-up EMAL and Qatalum, both of which produced their first cast metal in December last year, it is expected that the total production by GAC members will exceed 3 million metric tons in 2010. Ultimately, the region's production volumes could be doubled to 6 million metric tons per annum in the future, the exact timing being dependent the impact of market influences on the planned expansions of production capacity at the newcomer smelters (specifically Sohar and EMAL) and the commissioning date of Ma'aden (currently anticipated in 2013). Already, the Gulf region has the acknowledged potential to become a major producer in the global aluminum industry. This potential is already being realized through the above-mentioned growth in share of annual production, with the additional capacity coming on stream being well placed to meet increased demand for the metal worldwide. Moreover, by being equipped with new-generation technologies and adhering to the most stringent environmental protection standards, the smelters in the Gulf region are considered to be among the most energy-efficient and environment-friendly smelters in the world. The rapid infrastructural development taking place in the GCC countries is also expected to raise the level of aluminum product usage in the region to new heights, a factor that has spawned much discussion on the development of the downstream aluminum sector within the GAC member countries. Abdulla J.M. Kalban, president & CEO of DUBAL and Board-elected chairman of GAC), the council's main objectives will be to support the successful growth of the primary aluminum industry in the GCC by enhancing the working environment within the industry through the adoption of internationally-accepted and benchmarked safer work practices; reinforcing the regional industry players' commitment to protecting the environment and safeguarding the health and well-being of communities; and developing a talent pool.
