FOLLOWING the entry of the new Saudi aluminium producer, Ma’aden, and expansions in other plants, there has been a significant surge in the Gulf’s primary aluminium production, the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) has highlighted.

Collectively the five aluminium companies – EGA, Alba, Ma’aden, Qatalum and Sohar Aluminium – produced 4,928,143 tonnes of primary aluminium in 2014 compared to 3,748,616 tonnes in 2013, an increase of 31 per cent.

GCC aluminium production constitutes 10 per cent of total world production.

Mahmood Daylami, GAC secretary-general, observed: “The main increase has come from Ma’aden Aluminum, the Saudi Arabia start-up which was successfully ramped up during the year, and the Emal Phase 2 project completion before the target date”.

He also added that the production for 2015 is expected to be more than 5 million tonnes.

The GCC region remains one of the leading hubs for aluminum business where 40 per cent of its production is utilised by the downstream industry for the regional and international markets, while the balance of primary aluminium production is exported to different regions of the world.

The GCC aluminium production is of the highest quality and the plants are modern and environmentally-friendly and regarded as the most advanced in the world, Daylami said.