Sohar Aluminium, the host of the upcoming ARABAL 2017 conference, will bring more than 60 international renowned experts from a broad spectrum of the global aluminium industry to Oman. Joining over 500 delegates and exhibitors, these experts will share their insights and expertise over a range of topics related to the conference theme of ‘Driving Strategic Growth across the Global Aluminium Industry’. Scheduled to be held in Muscat from the 6th-9th of November 2017, at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, the industry event is set to be the ideal platform to share ideas that will drive growth and feed into the region’s ongoing economic diversification strategies.

One of the most anticipated sessions, the Industry Keynote Panel, features high-level representatives from ARABAL members consisting of Sohar Aluminium, Oman; Ma’aden Aluminium Company, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Emirates Global Aluminium, United Arab Emirates; Qatalum, State of Qatar; Egyptalum, Arab Republic of Egypt; and Aluminium Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain. Collectively, these organisations produced 5,229,115 tonnes of primary aluminium in 2016, which approximately accounts for 10% of the world’s total production (excluding China).

Eng. Said Mohammed Al Masoudi, CEO of Sohar Aluminium, commented, “The success of ARABAL in attracting a strong line-up of specialists and experts reflects its growing role as the platform to share innovations and identify solutions to common challenges faced throughout the aluminium industry. The wealth of experience and expertise present at the event will provide a highly focused environment for knowledge sharing.”

This year’s summit will also feature several Government officials from the region, including representatives from Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Oman’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Oman’s Authority for Electricity Regulation, and the Ministry of Electricity and Water in Kuwait. ARABAL 2017 will also feature senior executives from the USA, Canada, Norway, Russia, China, Iran and India on stage at the same time for the first time in ARABAL’s history. 

The list of top-notch organizations that will be represented include aluminium technological experts from Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro ASA, Rusal and Aditya Aluminium. They will be joined by industry analysts from the London Metal Exchange, Standard & Poor’s Global Platts, CRU Group, Harbor Aluminum, and Wood Mackenzie to detail new developments and trends in the global aluminium markets. Industry experts from several Fortune 500 companies are also scheduled to provide detailed analysis of sustainable solutions in the aluminium industry, bringing decades of expertise from firms such as ABB Switzerland, Hatch, and Ramboll to the stage.

Several presenters representing a wide variety of Oman’s corporate sector will also join the long list of international experts at the event, including Takatuf Oman, Oman Cement Company, GlassPoint Solar, and Be’ah.

Hosted on a rotational basis, ARABAL comprises of a strategic conference, international exhibition, a workshop, panel discussions and meetings focusing on current industry prospects and challenges. This year’s ARABAL is hosted in the Sultanate of Oman by Sohar Aluminium. 

Sohar Aluminium was formed in September 2004 to undertake a landmark Greenfield aluminium smelter project in the Sultanate. It is jointly owned by Oman Oil Company, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC - TAQA and Rio Tinto.

For more information about ARABAL 2017, visit www.arabal.com