Emirates Global Aluminium has opened the largest aluminium recycling plant in the UAE, with an annual production capacity of 185,000 tonnes, as part of its efforts to expand its low-carbon aluminium business and strengthen its contribution to the circular economy.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Humaid Al Shimmari, Chairman of Emirates Global Aluminium; Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the company; along with members of the Board of Directors and the senior management team.
Dr Amna Al Dahak said that recycling is one of the main pillars of the UAE’s circular economy policy, which aims to enhance the country’s position as a global hub for green development by moving away from traditional linear patterns of production and consumption toward more efficient circular models that make better use of resources and generate less waste.
She explained that aluminium is one of the key materials supporting this transition, as it can be recycled repeatedly without losing its essential properties. This helps preserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. She also noted that recycling aluminium waste requires up to 95% less energy than producing primary aluminium from raw materials, helping to lower energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Al Dahak added that Emirates Global Aluminium has established itself over the past decades as one of the UAE’s leading industrial companies, and is now reinforcing this role through its expansion in aluminium recycling both within the UAE and internationally. This reflects the close link between industrial growth and commitment to climate action goals.
The aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah will process post-consumer aluminium scrap, as well as quantities of pre-consumer scrap, to produce high-quality, low-carbon aluminium billets and ingots. These products will be marketed by the company under the RevivAL brand.
The company also produces alloys that combine recycled aluminium with primary aluminium made using solar power, marketed under the CelestiAL-R brand, in addition to alloys made with primary aluminium produced using nuclear power under the MinimAL-R brand.
Previously, large quantities of aluminium scrap generated in the UAE were exported abroad for processing, which meant that part of their economic value was lost outside the country. The new plant in Al Taweelah will help process this scrap locally, strengthening national value chains and making Emirates Global Aluminium the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE.
Construction of the plant required four million working hours and was completed without any lost-time injuries, reflecting the company’s commitment to health and safety standards throughout the project.
The project also required more than 26,300 cubic metres of concrete, a volume greater than 10 Olympic-size swimming pools, in addition to more than 4,600 metric tonnes of structural steel, equivalent to about two-thirds of the weight of the iron used in the Eiffel Tower.
