Championing UAE economic diversification: Hatch joins Emirates Global Aluminium for CUBC webinar

United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK, and Canada—On April 6, 2021, theCanada-UAE Business Council (CUBC)hosted a dialogue with Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), and business leaders Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO, UAE Investments, Mubadala Investment Company, and Joe Lombard, Global Managing Director, Metals, Hatch. EGA’s success story in becoming the world’s biggest “premium aluminium” producer and the largest made-in-the UAE export after oil and gas is a testament to the UAE’s forward-looking and business-minded environment and highlights the vast opportunities for business in the sector and beyond.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi began the session by outlining the UAE’s vision for economic diversification and its ambitious agenda to become a leading global hub for innovation, sustainability, and the knowledge economy.

As a key architect in growing EGA to one of the UAE’s most important companies, Abdulla Kalban highlighted the heritage and the growth of EGA from the 1970s to its leading role in today’s aluminium sector, as well as the UAE advantages that supported this growth, and opportunities for businesses in the region. He also recognized EGA’s close relationship with Canada, having worked closely with several organizations, including Hatch, over the years.

“EGA has played a major role in the industrialization and economic diversification of the UAE for the past 40 years,” expressed Abdulla Kalban. “Our growth has been possible due to a focus on innovation, talent development, and strong global partnerships, including those with Canada. With the UAE’s recent announcement of its further industrialization plan for the next ten years, Operation 300bn, I hope that all companies–whether within the sector and beyond–will see EGA as an example of what is possible for business in the UAE.”

Joe Lombard and Abdulla Kalban engaged in a discussion about EGA’s growth and the importance of developing home-grown technologies, as well as fostering a culture of innovation. They discussed EGA’s evolution to a fully-integrated aluminium producer and where opportunities for companies to participate in the aluminium value chain exist. The leaders also delved into EGA’s leadership in sustainability and offered lessons for companies looking to incorporate sustainability measures into their operations.

Joe Lombard shared, “It takes a special company and country to build an aluminium company in the middle of the desert and grow it to become the world’s largest 'premium aluminium' producer. It has been a privilege and pleasure to work with EGA and the UAE to turn this vision into reality. EGA’s approach is a testament to the leadership in EGA and the UAE and a lesson for companies in the sector and well beyond.”

Having explored EGA’s tremendous growth, Musabbeh Al Kaabi examined with Mr. Kalban the key elements of EGA’s approach that were important to its success and which offer key advantages to businesses operating in the UAE. Mr. Al Kaabi further explored EGA’s collaborations with colleges and universities, its strong focus on logistics as a gateway to the region, and the development of home-grown talent to support the UAE’s focus on building one of the world’s greatest knowledge economies.

“As a member of EGA’s Board of Directors and Chair of its Finance and Commercial Committee, I have seen first-hand the remarkable development of EGA and its importance in supporting UAE's economic diversification and industrialization,” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi. “EGA is a testament to and a reflection of the UAE’s ambitious agenda and a lesson about the innovative businesses and models that can be developed in the UAE’s forward-looking and business-minded environment. As Co-Chair of the Canada-UAE Business Council, I encourage Canadian businesses to take advantage of the UAE’s geographic and business strengths in their plans to expand their businesses globally.”

To watch the full recording of this webinar, pleaseclick here.

To find out more about our relationship with EGA, read about our recent work at theAl Taweelah alumina refinery, including thepower and steam integration projectand theoperational readiness program.

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay Janca
Global Director, Public Relations
Tel: +1 905 403 4199
Email:media@hatch.com

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About the Canada-UAE Business Council

The Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC) is an initiative spearheaded by the federal governments of the UAE and Canada to facilitate trade and business activity between the two countries. This high-level business organization supports the development of long-term relationships and undertakes strategic and targeted initiatives to enhance business and trade opportunity between Canada and the UAE, by supporting Canadian businesses to conduct business in the UAE and UAE businesses to conduct business in Canada.

Find out more athttps://investcanadauae.com/.