Jun 12 2007
Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL), the world’s seventh largest producer of premium quality aluminium, is planning to more than double its export volume to the European and Mediterranean markets in the next five years, cashing in on the favourable demand position and other market conditions.
Explains Mr Walid Al Attar, GM, Marketing & Sales: DUBAL, “The EU-GCC Free Trade Agreement expected to be signed this year, will make European markets far more accessible to DUBAL. Demand for aluminium is already huge in Europe which is an ideal market for DUBAL from a geographic, economic and freight perspective. It also offers vast untapped potential,” he added.
Aiming to leverage the opportunity, DUBAL will participate this year in the 11th International Foundry Trade Fair and WFO Technical Forum (GIFA), the leading trade fair for the foundry industry in Europe, and one of the most major aluminium conferences in the world. The fair, which is held once in four years, will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from June 12 to16, 2007.
“Europe is an important part of DUBAL’s future growth strategy and we aim to make it one of our strategic markets,” said Mr. Sultan Al Sabri, Senior Marketing Manager, Europe and US: DUBAL. “We will therefore use GIFA to liaise with our more than 40 existing customers in Europe and network with other exhibitors and potential customers.”
In addition to its services and products, the DUBAL brand will also be showcased at the fair to existing and potential customers. “A team of senior DUBAL officials will also be present to interact with delegates and participants at the fair,” said Al Sabri.
DUBAL currently serves 280 customers in 44 countries predominantly in the Far East, Europe, the ASEAN region, the Middle East and Mediterranean region, and North America. Sales to European and Mediterranean markets currently amount to 200,000 metric tonnes per annum of which foundry alloy constitutes approximately 41%, extrusion billet 49% and high purity aluminium 10%.
The company has the capacity to produce more than 900,000 metric tonnes of high quality finished aluminium products a year. A recently initiated, dynamic growth strategy aims to increase DUBAL’s annual production to almost one million metric tonnes by 2008.