Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside of oil and gas, continued its collaboration with Abu Dhabi’s Human Resources Authority (HRA) by holding a recruitment drive in Abu Dhabi to attract young UAE Nationals.
More than 50 UAE Nationals were shortlisted for places on EGA’s long-running National Training Programmes, following interviews with EGA representatives at the recruitment drive. Successful candidates will undergo intensive training at EGA, beginning in November 2022 and lasting anywhere between six months to three years, dependant on their technical role.
Successful candidates will be offered contracts prior to beginning training at EGA’s technical training centre, which provides programmes certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Training. Following their time at the training centre, candidates will receive further practical training on-site at EGA prior to being offered operational roles at EGA’s smelters and power plants.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer at EGA, said: “EGA is committed to recruiting and developing UAE Nationals as an investment in our future. We are pleased to be working with Abu Dhabi’s HRA to identify qualified candidates for our National Training Programmes and I look forward welcoming the new batch of young, talented Emiratis to our company.”
Iman Al Qasim, Executive Vice President of Human Capital at EGA, said: “At EGA, we are driven by our bold aspiration to become a talent-driven organisation and the leading industrial employer of choice in the countries where we operate by 2030. I was delighted to see over 400 candidates attend the recruitment drive. I look forward to welcoming successful candidates to EGA and to supporting them on their professional pathways as they advance their careers.”
Last year, EGA recruited more than 100 UAE Nationals, 73 of whom participated in foundational training programmes, including the National Training Smelter programme, developed in collaboration with and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Human Resources Authority.
EGA’s National Training programmes develop young UAE Nationals for operational roles at EGA. More than 5,000 UAE Nationals have graduated from the programmes since they were first established in 1982, and many have gone on to pursue long and successful careers at EGA.
Almost 1,200 UAE Nationals now work at EGA. Over 700 of EGA’s Emirati employees are under the age of 35.
At the end of 2021, EGA’s in-focus Emiratisation rate was around 40 per cent. When considering the high number of blue-collar positions in heavy industry, EGA has one of the highest Emiratisation rates of any major company.
About EGA
Since 1975, when it was founded as Dubai Aluminium by His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Global Aluminium has been innovating aluminium to make modern life possible.
Today EGA is the world’s biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer and the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil and gas industry.
EGA is equally-owned by Mubadala Investment Company of Abu Dhabi and the Investment Corporation of Dubai. It is the largest company jointly owned by the two Emirates.
EGA is an integrated aluminium producer, with operations from bauxite mining to the production of cast primary aluminium. EGA operates aluminium smelters in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah, an alumina refinery in Al Taweelah and a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea.
EGA’s aluminium is the second largest made-in-the UAE export after oil and gas. In 2021, EGA sold 2.54 million tonnes of cast metal. EGA is the only UAE producer and makes the UAE the fifth largest aluminium producing nation in the world.
EGA has more than 400 customers in over 50 countries. In 2021, value-added products accounted for 84 per cent of EGA’s cast metal sales.
EGA’s aluminium is primarily used in the construction, automotive, packaging, aerospace and electronics industries.
Around 10 per cent of EGA’s aluminium production is sold in the UAE to around 26 downstream aluminium companies that make products with EGA’s aluminium. The growing broader aluminium sector in the UAE supports 60,950 jobs. EGA itself employs over 7,000 of these people including almost 1,200 UAE Nationals.
EGA has focused on technology development for over 25 years. EGA has used its own technology for every smelter expansion since the 1990s and has retrofitted all its older production lines. In 2016 EGA became the first UAE industrial company to licence its core industrial process technology internationally.
As a corporate citizen of the UAE, EGA aspires in all its operations to be measured amongst the world’s leading metals and mining companies in meeting its environmental and social responsibilities. In 2017, EGA became the first Middle East headquartered company to join the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, a global programme to foster greater sustainability and transparency in the aluminium industry. In 2019, EGA’s Al Taweelah site became the first in the Middle East to receive certification from ASI for its sustainability practices and performance. EGA’s Jebel Ali site was certified in 2021. ASI certification is the aluminium industry’s internationally recognised standard for environmental and social performance and governance.
In 2021, EGA began production of CelestiAL solar aluminium, produced with solar power from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park on the outskirts of Dubai. EGA is the first company in the world to make aluminium commercially using the power of the sun.
EGA was formed in 2014 through the merger of Dubai Aluminium and Emirates Aluminium.
EGA’s Jebel Ali aluminium smelter began production as DUBAL in 1979. At almost five square kilometres, this site is five times bigger than Dubai Mall.
EMAL started production in 2009 and its Al Taweelah aluminium smelter was the largest single-site aluminium smelter in the world when completed. EGA’s Al Taweelah site is five times bigger than Al Maryah Island at six square kilometres.
EGA has its own power stations at both sites, producing electricity to meet its needs. EGA’s electricity generation capacity is 6,474 megawatts, making EGA the third largest electricity generator in the UAE after the Dubai and Abu Dhabi utilities. EGA also produces water through desalination units at its power plants.
EGA began production at Al Taweelah alumina refinery in April 2019. EGA’s alumina refinery is the first in the UAE and only the second in the Middle East. The project reduces the UAE’s dependence on imported alumina and supplies over 40 per cent of EGA’s needs.
Bauxite exports from Guinea Alumina Corporation, EGA’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Guinea, began in August 2019. The GAC project was one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in over 40 years.
For more information on EGA please visit www.ega.ae.
