Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) celebrated its landmark cumulative production of six million tonnes while preparing to fulfill an order for Asia Pacific's automotive industry.

The consignment is being shipped to Daesung Metal in Pusan, South Korea, which will supply specialist parts for a variety of car manufacturers.

"The automotive industry is just one key industry to which we supply. Together with the IT/electronics and construction industries we have a full order book, which ensures we are always working to full capacity. As we increase our capacity in the coming years we will be able to provide more metal to our existing customers and welcome new ones," said Dubal chief executive officer John Boardman.

The production of six million tonnes covers the period since the company started producing aluminium at its plant in Jebel Ali in 1979.

Since then, the company has gradually increased production to present-day levels, which now total 536,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). With plans to increase the annual tonnage to 710,000tpa, the smelter intends to meet the increase in worldwide demand for aluminium and the growing demand for Dubal's premium aluminium products.

Commenting on the achievement, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Dubal's vice chairman, said: "This is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work our employees have put in to ensure that our orders are made on time and to the highest possible standards. As one of the best producers of aluminium in the world, this landmark also illustrates that the demand for Dubal products is as high as ever and we look forward to reaching the next million very soon."

Since its formation in 1979, Dubal has grown to become a significant contributor to the economy of Dubai and the UAE. It is widely regarded as a corporate role model in the country's strategic vision to diversify its economy, stimulate growth, create employment opportunities for UAE nationals and generate new opportunities for Dubai-based businesses across the world.

Dubal incorporates a power-generating capability exceeding 1,450 megawatts and a seawater desalination plant capable of providing up to 30 million gallons of potable water daily. The company employs over 2,700 skilled professional, craftsmen, support staff and operators from many parts of the world. Emphasis is, however, placed on the selection, placement and development of UAE nationals for positions of increasing responsibility within the company.

In September 1993 Dubal achieved a world's first when it successfully aligned and certified all of its smelting and related processes to the international quality standard ISO 9001-2000. Subsequently the company also developed and installed ISO 9001-2000 certified quality management systems for its power and desalination processes.

This traditional commitment to quality was underpinned in 1996 when Dubal was accorded the "Company of the Year Award" in the Dubai Quality Awards. This accolade was followed up four years later when Dubal won the Dubai Quality Gold Award for manufacturing.

In May 1999 the company gained the environmental accreditation ISO 14001 certification for its entire operations following an alignment process that extended over a three-year period.