Masharie subsidiaries Emirates Extrusion Factory (EEF) and White Aluminium Extrusion (WAE), which are exporting a significant portion of their outputs, have reported a 13 per cent year on year increase in demand for their aluminium profiles both within the UAE and in the wider Middle East region.

Masharie said heightened construction activity was the reason why demand for their products increased from 24,100 tonnes in 2013 to 27,250 tonnes this year.

EEF is finalising a new powder coating plant with capacity of 7,200 tonnes per year. It will engage the latest technology from Europe to produce the quality specified at the international level.

WAE is finalising an anodising plant from Italy with annual capacity of 4,800 tonnes. Once complete, this will be a fully automated plant with the latest technology.

Both EEF and WAE are exporting around 60-70 per cent of their finished goods to the GCC region and nearly 25 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The companies plan to expand their scope to over 50 countries over the next five years. Downstream projects are expected to increase in the coming years due to a surge in prime aluminium capacity within the UAE and across the GCC region.

Khalfan Al Suwaidi, managing director of EEF and WAE, said: “Architectural, building and construction applications accounted for over 80 per cent of the extrusion market in the Middle East region and EEF and WAE are building on their leadership with high-quality aluminium systems for architectural and non-architectural applications. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are witnessing a spurt in construction activity, and this has put added demand for aluminium profiles at our plants. In view of this latent demand, we have planned an aggressive expansion of our production lines.

“Apart from construction, there have been significant investments in the transportation, electrical and industrial sectors across the GCC countries, and demand for aluminium extrusion products for these sectors is expected to increase in the coming years.”

Aluminium, a growth product

Aluminium production in the GCC area is expected to grow significantly in the short to medium term, accounting for15 per cent of total global output by 2015. Aluminium exports from the Gulf are expected to be robust in the future and UAE shipments could contribute substantially to the country’s non-oil revenues.

The Emirates Extrusion Factory in Ajman

EEF and WAE are engaging their experience with a couple of system providers to focus more on prestigious projects in the UAE, the GCC area and North Africa, providing test certificates and quality assurance required by the consultants. EEF offers an impressive range of premium-quality, energy-efficient extruded aluminum profiles, which include windows, doors, and structural glazing, as well as partition grill, hand rail, and curtain wall systems.

Emirates Extrusion Factory was established in 1993 in Ajman, UAE, and its products comply with BS, EN and ISO 9001 standards.

White Aluminium Extrusion was set up in 2007 in Abu Dhabi and is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturers of extruded aluminium products in the region. The company has developed a wide range of custom extrusions as well as producing standard shapes and sizes utilised in everyday applications.