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Middle Eastern aluminum giant attacked, full resumption of production may take a year
Questioning AI · EGA factory repair takes a year, what are the key technical challenges?
【Global Network Finance Comprehensive Report】The global aluminum market is facing significant supply shocks. The UAE’s largest aluminum producer, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), announced on Friday that it may take up to 12 months for its Abu Dhabi smelter to fully resume production after an attack by Iran a week ago.
EGA stated in a release that the Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi has entered an emergency shutdown after being heavily damaged by missiles and drones. The company has completed an initial damage assessment and is communicating with customers who may be affected by cargo delays.
Al Taweelah is one of the world’s largest smelters, with an aluminum casting capacity of 1.6 million tons in 2025. EGA said that the alumina refinery and metal recycling plant in the same area could resume some production earlier after damage assessments are completed.
This shutdown affects not only EGA. Iran also attacked the aluminum smelting facilities of Alba in Bahrain on March 28, which said it is assessing the damage.
The Middle East accounts for about 9% of global aluminum production. Multiple major facilities have been damaged or shut down, further pressuring the already fragile global aluminum supply pattern. Analysts point out that the current aluminum market is under multiple pressures: shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, several aluminum production facilities in the Middle East are damaged or shut down, global inventories are already low, and the entire market has little buffer space.
As a result, aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange have risen by more than 10% since the regional conflict escalated. Goldman Sachs predicts that by the second quarter of 2026, there will be a supply gap of about 900k tons in the global aluminum market. EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban stated in a release: “Our Al Taweelah plant is a cornerstone of the global economy and a significant contributor to global supply. This event has caused damage to global industry and prosperity.” (Chen Shiyi)