Kizad to host Dh440 million aluminium rolling plant

Dubai: Dubai Investments has joined hands with Dubal Holding and Singapore-based MARS to build a Dh440 million aluminium rolling plant in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).
The worldwide demand for aluminium is expected to grow at an average of 6.5 per cent annually, according to industry statistics.
The UAE is the world's fourth largest aluminium producer and accounts for over 50 per cent of the Gulf's aluminium production and continues to strengthen its share in the global market.
Dubal Holding will hold a 35 per cent stake in Emirates Aluminium Rolling (Emiroll), Dubai Investments will have a 30 per cent stake while MARS will hold the remaining 35 per cent stake in the joint venture. Construction of the plant will commence soon on 900,000 square feet of land in Kizad.
Once operational, Emiroll will manufacture 65,000 tonnes of aluminium coils per annum, including 45,000 tonnes of cold-rolled and 20,000 tonnes of hot-rolled aluminium for applications in downstream industries, such as automotive body parts, roller-shutters, garage castings, container trays, cans and aerosols.
GCC currently manufactures 4.5 million tonnes of primary aluminium per annum, with the UAE's share at about 2.3 million tonnes per annum, and only 10 per cent of this production is used in the downstream industry.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer of Dubal Holding, said: "Dubal Holding has kept its focus firmly on a diverse growth strategy and this joint venture with Dubai Investments and MARS for Emiroll aims at creating new demand for aluminium in the rapidly-growing downstream industries across the region."
Khalid Bin Kalban, managing director and CEO of Dubai Investments, said: "Dubai Investments' foray into aluminium rolling is part of its strategy to support the development of the non-hydrocarbon sector in the UAE and boost the manufacturing sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product. Emirates Aluminium Rolling aims to capitalise on the unmatched market demand for aluminium in downstream industries across the Middle East and is expected to play a major role in this direction."
- abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com