Muscat, 7th November , 2011:  The first annual ARABAL conference to be held in Oman has attracted major industrial sponsors to help ensure the success of this flagship event that is being hosted by Sohar Aluminium for the first time.

Conference organiser and host aluminium company Sohar Aluminium says it is delighted with the response that ARABAL has received from sponsors from around the world as the company prepares to host this gathering of the global industry for the very first time.

The very broad spectrum of sponsors already committed to the event including many international and regional leaders in the aluminium and associated industry sectors.

Companies who are sponsoring the event include ABB, Alstom, FATA EPC, Oman Aluminium Processing Industries LLC, Oman Aluminium Rolling Company, Rio Tinto Alcan, Five Solios Group, R & D Carbon Switzerland, Petroleium Coke Industries Company, Morten Simonsen, Rotex, SGL Group, Clauser SAS, Fusiref Wahl Refractory Solution, Steinweg and Kuwait Industry Company.

This is in addition to the regional sponsorship that the conference has received from the Gulf and regional Arab smelters in the shape of ALBA from Bahrain, DUBAL and Emal from the UAE, Qatalam from Qatar, Egyptalum of Egypt and newcomer Ma’aden of Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile a special new offer has been announced to attract Oman SMEs and NGOs to attend thanks to a special offer delegate price of only US $500 that has been negotiated by the Oman Chamber of Commerce. The objective behind the move is to help provide a platform for Omani SMEs to meet large international aluminium producers and suppliers and explore prospective future mutually beneficial business partnerships.

Commenting on the sponsorship support that ARABAL has received, Dr Hilal bin Abdullah Al Hinai, Corporate Affairs General Manager at Sohar Aluminium, said: “A conference of this size and scale requires a significant investment from the host country but the scale of the sponsorship we have received helps to ensure the successful financing of this world-class event.

“The quality and international nature of our sponsorship support also reinforces the importance of ARABAL to the global aluminium community.  We would like to express our thanks to all of our sponsors and thank them for their support in ensuring we are able to host the most successful possible conference.”

 The  three day conference will take place between the 14th and 16th November at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat and will attract global industry leaders demonstrating  the growing importance of Oman’s growing aluminium manufacturing business and several hundred delegates are anticipated to attend.

Aluminium is a light, strong, flexible, non-corrosive and infinitely recyclable metal that is now becoming one of the most important products in the world for modern manufacturing industry, especially as compared to most other metals, less energy is required to manufacture and transport products made from aluminium.

The theme of this year’s ARABAL conference is “Global Challenges for sustainable growth in the aluminium industry and the role of the Gulf smelters” – issues affecting regional and global manufacturers, downstream industries and suppliers.

As production in the region is estimated to reach approximately 25 per cent in the near future – the Gulf is now seen as the fastest growing and most important production region in the world for this metal that is now used in the widest range of applications – with its use in the automobile industry for example leading to the production of stronger but lighter vehicles that help to reduce fuel consumption and protect the environment.

ARABAL, which was first held in 1983, is now recognised as one of the world’s leading aluminium events, attracting delegates and industry leaders from around the world.

Delegates visiting the conference will also be given opportunities to visit the Sohar Aluminium smelter – travelling from Muscat to Sohar via a high speed ferry – and also to enjoy some of Oman’s rich culture and heritage during the four day event.