Alba’s CEO Ali Al Baqali was a featured speaker at the CEO Panel. (Image source: Alba)

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)’s CEO, Ali Al Baqali, was a featured speaker at the CEO Panel titled Industry Insights from Aluminium Primary Producers during the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference 2024, held from 10-12 September in Athens, Greece.

Joining senior executives from Hongqiao Group and Century Aluminium, Al Baqali addressed key issues facing the aluminium industry, including the rising costs of smelters, the increasing demand for value-added products, the implications of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), carbon emissions reduction, and supply chain sustainability.

He also discussed the broader challenges and future outlook for the industry.

Al Baqali further highlighted market trends in the Middle East and North Africa, introduced Alba’s EternAlTM low-carbon aluminium product line, and spoke on Bahrain’s government initiatives toward achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2060.

During his time in Athens, Al Baqali also visited Elval, one of Alba’s clients, to explore their production processes, sustainability efforts, and discuss potential market dynamics and future collaboration opportunities.

The rebranding was officially presented at a high-profile event in Abu Dhabi, attended by prominent officials, over 400 clients, partners, and employees. (Image source: EMSTEEL)

Emirates Steel Arkan, the UAE’s largest listed company in the steel and building materials sector, has unveiled a new identity as EMSTEEL, reflecting its ambitions for accelerated transformation and enhanced global reach.

The rebranding was officially presented at a high-profile event in Abu Dhabi, attended by prominent officials, over 400 clients, partners, and employees.

This new identity marks the successful integration of Emirates Steel and Arkan Building Materials, a merger finalised in late 2021. The union has created the UAE’s foremost steel and construction materials company, with an estimated value of US$3.5bn (AED 13 billion). The merger positions EMSTEEL for significant expansion both locally and internationally.

Green steel production

Operating under the EMSTEEL banner, the company is divided into two key sectors: Emirates Steel and Emirates Cement. Emirates Cement oversees brands such as Al Ain Cement Factory, Emirates Blocks Factories, ANABEEB, and Arkan Bags. These divisions form the backbone of EMSTEEL's operations, ensuring the delivery of top-tier products to meet the growing demands of both domestic and global markets in the construction and manufacturing sectors. The group’s structure is flexible, designed to accommodate new business lines and expansions into fresh markets.

At the core of EMSTEEL’s strategy are innovation and sustainability. The group is investing in advanced technologies and clean energy initiatives, driving the development of cutting-edge solutions that focus on safety, quality, and efficiency. Producing low-carbon products remains a central objective as the company works towards offering environmentally sustainable solutions.

EMSTEEL controls 11% of Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing output and holds a 60% share of the UAE’s steel market. As a key player in supporting the UAE’s "Operation 300bn" industrial strategy, the company is also championing digital transformation across the sector. This is exemplified by its receipt of five prestigious "UAE Industry 4.0 Digital Leader" awards from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).

Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group Chief Executive Officer of EMSTEEL, said, “Today’s unveiling of our new brand identity marks a milestone in our evolution, as the group forges ahead to support its customers and add value to its shareholders with a unified vision. Our EMSTEEL brand carries us forward into a future full of opportunities for expansion, business growth and digital transformation. It represents our commitment to creating products, services and solutions to build a better world, in addition to driving global sustainability efforts in our sector through promoting a low-carbon supply chain in collaboration with our partners.

He added, “The company is committed to reducing carbon emissions in alignment with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, where the use of clean energy in our operations is at 80%.  EMSTEEL is a global leader in low-carbon steel production and the first steelmaker in the world to capture its CO₂ emissions, enabling us to operate with 45% less carbon than our peers.”

The capacity has increased from 55,000tpa to 110,000tpa. (Image source: DMB)

Ducab Metals Business (DMB), part of the Ducab Group, has announced a major expansion, doubling its annual aluminium production capacity from 55,000tpa to 110,000tpa, and increasing its bare copper output to meet growing global demand.

This move strengthens DMB’s competitive edge in the international metals sector while contributing to the UAE’s Operation 300bn strategy, which aims to boost industrial growth and enhance the nation’s role as a leader in advanced manufacturing.

Sustainability options

The expansion was unveiled at the ‘Ducab Metals Business Expansion Forum: Advancing Capacity, Driving Innovation,’ held in collaboration with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED).

The forum brought together leading industry, government, and academic figures to discuss the future of the UAE’s industrial development and explore key strategies for achieving the objectives of Operation 300bn. The event also highlighted DMB’s progress in innovation and sustainability, including its groundbreaking work in green aluminium production.

Among the prominent attendees were Ducab Group CEO Mohammed Almutawa, DMB CEO Mohamed Al Ahmedi, and key representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD Group, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

Mohammad Almutawa, CEO of Ducab Group, said, "At Ducab, we are committed to boosting our industrial and production capacities through strategic, forward-looking investments that are perfectly aligned with Operation 300bn. This expansion enhances our ability to meet international demand, elevates the 'Made in the Emirates' brand, and boosts our global competitiveness, all while supporting sustainable business growth and strengthening industrial resilience. These efforts further establish the UAE as a leading hub for future industries and attract greater global investments." 

Mohamed Al Ahmedi, CEO of DMB, said, "Doubling our aluminium production and expanding our copper capabilities reflects our dedication to strengthening the UAE's industrial sector. This move secures our leadership in metal manufacturing, drives innovation, and reinforces our status as a major global producer. By adopting advanced, sustainable technologies and pioneering new industrial solutions, we continue to lead in industrial and technological advancement."

This recent enlargement of DMB's facilities at KEZAD Group, which increased the total space by 51,015 sqm, along with the strategic acquisition of GIC Magnet—a leading global supplier of paper-insulated aluminum strips—underscores DMB’s role as a key manufacturing hub. This development enables DMB to better serve industries such as healthcare, automotive, and packaging, thereby broadening its product range and expanding its global footprint.

Mecc Alte’s V-Type range is the result of a series of discussions where OEMs and end-users highlighted application requirements with Mecc Alte experts.

A key outcome was the need for alternators that could continuously work in harsh environments.

“We call the V-Type our most resilient alternator yet,” says the company’s group marketing director, Jonathan Stokes. “It has been created specifically to deliver reliable power generation when working in harsh environments, for example those with extreme heat or cold, or high levels of rain or dust, often in remote locations.”

Naturally, given the tough environments in which the alternator range is used, the V-Type underwent rigorous testing.

Superior durability is built into the design as standard to guarantee power in locations where it may be challenging to carry out maintenance procedures associated with less resilient models.

V-Type TOTAL+, for example, is an exclusive winding treatment with a specification that’s designed to be more resilient. Reinforced tape is also used around the lower radius of the stator, providing an external covering for the reinforced NDE winding head base.

Other enhancements that add to V-Type range’s exceptional durability and longevity include 30,000 premium bearing hours for increased reliability, taping and VTP treatment for the excitor stator, TOTAL+ reinforcement of the lower lamination slats for insulation protection, and premium paint that includes an anti-rust treatment.

The range also comes with the MAUX Power Boost Auxiliary Winding System as standard across the range. The MAUX system provides high performance over standard shunt systems, thanks to over 300% forced short circuit current for up to 20 seconds.

An extended warranty is also standard as part of the range.

With these enhancements the V-Type is built to last as part of a robust power generator set that is ideally suited to its operating conditions, environment, and specified application.

Mecc Alte is a high-volume manufacturer that produces a diverse range of alternators, including 2-pole and 4-pole alternators, as well as medium and high voltage alternators, spanning 1 – 5000kVA.