EGA and Gulftainer sign agreement to route up to 300,000 tonnes of aluminium through UAE East Coast

EGA signs Gulftainer deal to expand UAE aluminium exports through East Coast

Emirates Global Aluminium has signed an agreement with Gulftainer to route up to 250,000 tonnes of aluminium through the UAE's East Coast in the first year, with volumes potentially increasing to as much as 300,000 tonnes in the second year.

The agreement provides EGA with an additional route for moving metal to international customers and forms part of the company's strategy to strengthen the efficiency and resilience of its outbound logistics operations.

EGA's aluminium represents the UAE's largest domestically produced export after oil and gas. The company, which operates two major smelters in the UAE with combined annual production capacity of approximately 2.4 million tonnes, supplies more than 400 customers across more than 50 countries. The Jebel Ali facility in Dubai began production in 1979, while the Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi started operations in 2009 and was the world's largest when built.

Strategic logistics diversification

Volumes handled through the East Coast could increase further in subsequent years under the terms of the agreement. Gulftainer will also develop additional port capabilities to accommodate EGA's requirements as export volumes expand.

The move comes after EGA faced logistics constraints in the first half of 2026 arising from regional developments that led to a temporary suspension of new outbound shipments from the UAE in March. The company has since established alternative export routes through ports that provide access without requiring passage through certain shipping channels.

EGA sold more than 2.83 million tonnes of cast metal in 2025, creating substantial logistics requirements across its international customer base. The company produces approximately 4 percent of global aluminium output, or one in every 25 tonnes of aluminium made worldwide, making it the largest producer in the Middle East and fifth-largest globally outside China.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, said the company is the biggest premium aluminium producer in the world, with customers in more than 50 countries requiring reliable metal deliveries. He noted that the agreement with Gulftainer represents another important step forward in diversifying outbound logistics to ensure dependable supply chains.

Port infrastructure expansion

The agreement adds capacity on the UAE's East Coast as EGA continues to diversify the routes used to ship aluminium to international markets. Khorfakkan Container Terminal, operated by Gulftainer under a concession with the Sharjah Port Authority, is strategically positioned to provide access to the Gulf of Oman.

Gulftainer is expanding Khorfakkan Container Terminal capacity from 3.5 million TEU to 10 million TEU as part of a $2 billion investment program, with initial expansion to 5 million TEU planned within three months. The port operator, established in 1976, also operates facilities in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Farid Belbouab, Group CEO of Gulftainer, described the agreement as extending beyond logistics to building resilience for UAE trade. By enabling Emirates Global Aluminium's increasing logistics demand through the UAE's East Coast, Gulftainer is providing a strategic, efficient and reliable gateway to global markets, he said, adding that the deal underscores the company's integrated platform in serving the nation's most strategic industries.

Aluminium ranked second among UAE non-oil exports in 2023 after gold, contributing to the country's record non-oil foreign trade of AED 3.5 trillion that year. EGA, jointly owned by Mubadala Investment Company and Investment Corporation of Dubai through an equal-ownership structure formed in 2013, is the UAE's largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector and describes itself as the world's biggest producer of premium aluminium.