Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), whose metal production capacity was increased to more than 830,000 tonnes following the successful implementation of Line 5, has vowed to further support Bahrain’s downstream aluminium industries.

The chairman of Alba’s board of directors, Dr Mohammed Al Ghatam, said the increased capacity would in turn create opportunities for Bahrain’s downstream industries to raise their own production capacities.
“Alba will do everything it can to help develop the kingdom’s downstream industries,” he promised. “Alba has just completed commissioning its newest reduction line, Line 5, in 77 days to set a new world record for the fastest and safest start-up of a reduction line and earn Bahrain international praise and recognition for its industrial excellence,” he recalled of the recent development.
Dr Al Ghatam made his remarks after meeting with senior executives of Bahrain’s key downstream aluminium industry at the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research in Awali.
Present were Alba acting chief executive Ahmed Al Nuaimi and human resources and public relations manager Shaikh Bader bin Rashid Al Khalifa, as well as senior executives from Garmco, Midal Cables, Balexco, Aluwheel, Bahrain Atomisers International and Bamco.
“The expansion and subsequent development of Bahrain’s downstream industries marks another important milestone in the kingdom’s diversification strategy,” said Dr Al Ghatam.
“Alba marked the birth of the region’s downstream industry diversification when it was commissioned as a modest 120,000 tonnes per annum smelter in 1971,” he recollected. 
“The smelter’s ongoing success has since spawned a thriving downstream industry in the kingdom and provided training and job opportunities for the national workforce.”
“It is a success story that has earned Bahrain pride of place on the world industrial stage and served as a blue print for the region’s industrial diversification programme,” remarked Dr Al Ghatam.
“The commissioning of Alba’s Line 5, the longest reduction line in the world, increases the smelter’s annual production capacity by more than 60 per cent and makes it the largest modern smelter in the world.
Dr Al Ghatam noted that Bahrain’s downstream industries were major employers of the national workforce (the current Bahraini employee number is 1,883) and major contributors to the kingdom’s GDP. “Their increased production will subsequently translate to additional job opportunities for the national workforce as well as increased contributions to the national economy,” he said.