Expansion strategies: a look at the Ducab Metals Business

Sania Aziz interviews Ducab Group CEO, along with the CEO of DMB. Read on: 

Ducab Metals Business (DMB) has doubled its aluminium production capacity to 110,000tpa and increased its bare copper capacity to meet growing global demand. The company made the announcement on 5 September at 'Ducab Metals Business Expansion Forum: Advancing Capacity, Driving Innovation,' held in partnership with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). 

During the event, Technical Review Middle East caught up with Ducab Group CEO Mohammed Almutawa and DMB CEO Mohamed Al Ahmedi. “We are positioned in the value chain directly after the mine and the smelter. When we look downstream, we saw a big industry. So imagine the potential and the opportunities that we are seeing,” said Al Ahmedi, referring to the various sectors Ducab already caters to. These include construction, energy, cabling, automotive, healthcare, transportations, transformers, and others. “When embedded within our ecosystem, these industries can give us stability and sustainability. So that we can diversify when one of the industries slows down.”

Adding to the conversation, Almutawa said that Ducab has succeeded in using its existing products - cables - as a gateway drug for the rest of the industry. This means that the company has been able to provide. “We need cables for energising operations. This allowed us to learn about all the different sectors and then we found our alignment place. Today, I would never have imagined myself sitting down with the pharmaceutical industry. But now we are supplying specific products that will enhance their processes.”

One challenge for Almutawa has been the EV sector. He said that, due to the current infrastructure, it has been difficult for Ducab to service the industry. “We have had the hardest time servicing the EV market sector. Why is this? When we look at EV chargers, the cabling required for them compared to the cabling required for the demand of UAE for ten years is just a two week production.” This means that Ducab has had to foray into other markets. According to DMB, about 90% of its product is exported from the UAE. But at the same time, DMB is keen on contributing to the circular economy. “We do not go outside unless we satisfy the market,” said Almutawa, adding that DMB’s products only go global when the UAE’s expectations are met.

Read the full interview in the latest issue of Technical Review Middle East.