Ducab set to double aluminium production capacity
11 September 2024
Register for MEED's 14-day trial access
The UAE’s Ducab Group has announced that its subsidiary, Ducab Metals Business, will double its output of aluminium products from 55,000 tonnes a year (t/y) to 110,000 t/y. The company’s leadership said the investment in increasing production capacity will help meet rising demand for aluminium products at home and overseas.
Ducab Metals Business will build the new aluminium products facility in Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (Kezad), where it already owns a 50,000-square-metre facility. In May, the firm signed a 50-year land lease agreement with Kezad to acquire a 51,015 sq m plot, on which it will build the new plant.
Ducab Metals Business announced doubling its aluminium production capacity on 5 September at a conference in Abu Dhabi titled ‘Ducab Metals Business Expansion Forum: Advancing capacity, driving innovation’, held in partnership with MEED.
Ducab business expansion
Ducab Group, which is equally-owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Abu Dhabi’s ADQ, has been pursuing an expansion strategy that has taken it to new markets and opened up new industrial sectors, according to Mohammad Almutawa, CEO of Ducab Group.
Ducab is a key stakeholder in the UAE’s Operation 300bn, a blueprint launched by the Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology (MoIAT) in 2021. It aims to raise the contribution of the country’s industrial, mainly non-oil, sector to the national GDP to AED300bn ($81.7bn) by 2031.
Almutawa said in his opening remarks at the forum that Ducab Group has expanded its business footprint and portfolio since adopting a growth strategy some five years ago. The company has grown its presence to 75 countries and today caters to new industries such as medical and automotive.
Ducab Group’s metal usage stands at 300,000 t/y, while it has registered a year-on-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of 31%, the CEO revealed.
Entities such as the MoIAT, Kezad, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) have been key partners in its growth journey, Almutawa stated.
Focus on growth
According to the firm's CEO, Mohamed Al-Ahmedi, Ducab Metals Business has “achieved milestones” since its parent entity implemented the growth strategy between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020.
Apart from launching the project to double aluminium product output capacity, those milestones include expanding Ducab Metals Business’ footprint to 75 countries, acquiring GIC Magnet, a Dubai-based supplier of paper-insulated aluminium strips, enhancing its circular economy credentials, and making an investment in green aluminium in April.
These facts were presented by Al-Ahmedi during a panel discussion held at the conference in Abu Dhabi, moderated by Ed James, head of content and research – MEA at MEED/GlobalData. The other participants in the panel were Mansoor Al-Marar, vice president of Industrial Business Development at Kezad Group, Massimo Falcioni, chief competitiveness officer of Adio, and Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mahri, director of investments and partnerships at MoIAT.
“More than 95% of the aluminium we produce is exported to 75 countries,” Al-Ahmedi said, adding that the “raw material, producers and logistics facilities put together by Kezad, all in one place, facilitates exports”.
The new aluminium products plant is located within a kilometre of EGA's main smelter in Kezad, the primary source of aluminium feedstock, the Ducab Metals Business CEO said. The new facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year and start production in 2025.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Eni completes $1bn Libya gas project20 October 2026
-
Diriyah Company tenders East Wadi bridge20 October 2026
-
Kuwait selects firms for power works at housing projects20 October 2026
-
Taqa moves forward with Mirfa-Liwa scheme20 October 2026
-
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Eni completes $1bn Libya gas project20 October 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Libya’s Mellitah Oil & Gas Company, a joint venture of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) and Italian oil and gas company Eni, has achieved mechanical completion on its Bouri gas utilisation project (GUP).
In a statement, Eni said that start-up procedures are currently under way, enabling the recovery of associated gas produced from the Bouri field, which is located in Libya’s western offshore area.
The main contract for the project, worth $1bn, was awarded to Italy’s Saipem in August 2023.
The project involved the construction and installation of the new Bouri gas recovery module and related tie-in infrastructure that enables the recovery and treatment of gas that was previously flared.
In its statement, Eni said that the project “represents one of the most significant emissions reduction initiatives in Libya’s energy sector”.
It also said that it would contribute to improving the environmental performance of the country’s production system by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
The recovered gas will be supplied to the domestic market, adding about 700 million cubic metres a year and helping meet demand from the power generation sector.
The project will also support additional gas volumes available for export to Europe through the GreenStream pipeline.
Eni said: “The start-up of the Bouri GUP confirms the joint commitment of Eni and NOC to the development of Libya’s energy sector through initiatives that combine production growth, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.
“The project is part of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing the value of the country’s gas resources while reducing the emissions intensity of upstream activities.”
Other key projects currently under way in Libya include the A&E Structures Project, which is focused on bringing new offshore gas resources onstream for both the domestic market and exports, as well as initiatives aimed at upgrading and optimising gas production and transportation infrastructures.
Eni has been present in Libya since 1959, and the company’s equity production in the country in 2025 amounted to approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
The Bouri offshore field is part of Libya’s Block NC-41, located 120 kilometres north of the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean Sea.
It was first discovered in 1976 at a depth of 8,700 feet. It is estimated to contain 4.5 billion barrels in proven recoverable crude oil reserves and 3.5 trillion cubic feet of associated natural gas, with an annual production potential of 6 billion cubic metres.
The first development phase, costing nearly $2bn, was completed in 1990.
This was immediately followed by a second development phase, which entailed drilling 55 new wells and constructing three additional platforms. Production began from the oil platforms DP4 and DP3 in August 1998.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20770288/main3529.jpg -
Diriyah Company tenders East Wadi bridge20 October 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company has invited contractors to bid on the construction of the DG II East Wadi Bridge, a key crossing within Riyadh’s Diriyah master development.
The bridge will provide an arterial road connection linking the Diriyah Gate Phase 2 (DG II) Infrastructure Package 1 and Package 2 zones.
The project scope involves the construction of a 100-metre clear-span, 44-metre-wide, single-span post-tensioned concrete bridge structure with integrated abutments and four architectural towers.
The contract also encompasses approach slabs, access roads, pavements, associated earthworks, architectural finishes and cladding, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, utility interfaces, bridge parapets, vehicle restraint systems, waterproofing, testing and commissioning, and associated temporary works.
The client will supply the detailed engineering design, and the selected contractor will develop the construction methodology.
Diriyah Company issued the prequalification tender on 14 September, with submissions due by 10 December.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20769223/main.png -
Kuwait selects firms for power works at housing projects20 October 2026

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has appointed contractors for works covering the supply and installation of 132kV underground cables at South Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City.
The contracts relate to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages for works for 28 main 132/11kV substations across four phases.
According to sources, Egypt’s Elsewedy Cables has won contracts for phases 1 and 3, while China’s TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable Company has won contracts for phases 2 and 4 of the development.
In April, MEED reported that PAHW had received at least five bids for each of the first two packages, with Elsewedy and TBEA offering $44m and $40.5m, respectively.
The first contract (phase 1) covers seven substations in zones N9, N7 and N5. The second contract (phase 2) covers seven substations in zones N10 and N5.
PAHW issued two further 132kV underground cable tenders for the South Sabah Al-Ahmad residential development at the end of May, as reported by MEED.
This included a contract (phase 3) covering the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables linked to seven substations serving the N5, N6, N8 and N10 districts. Egytech Cables, a subsidiary of Elsewedy, submitted an offer of $39.95m, the lowest of four bids.
The other contract (phase 4) covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables feeding eight main transformer substations serving the N1, N6 and N11 districts.
MEED reported in July that TBEA had submitted an offer of $44.06m for the contract.
South Saad Al-Abdullah
Separately, PAHW has appointed contractors for power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development.
The local firm Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons has won a contract to supply, install and maintain 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the development’s third phase.
Another local firm, Al-Ahleia Switchgear, has won a contract to supply, install and maintain 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the project’s fourth phase.
As reported in August, the contractors submitted bids of $104.2m and $103.3m, respectively.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20761431/main.jpg -
Taqa moves forward with Mirfa-Liwa scheme20 October 2026

Taqa Transmission and Taqa Distribution are advancing a major water transmission and distribution scheme serving Mirfa, Madinat Zayed and Liwa in Abu Dhabi, sources told MEED.
The project, originally estimated to cost $775m, has been in procurement for several years. According to sources, a request for proposals has been issued, with bids due on 5 January 2027.
The initial submission deadline was 11 November, before it was extended.
The project was previously tendered in December 2024, with contractors submitting bids for transmission and distribution packages in January 2025. As of August, the bids were still under evaluation. It is unclear whether the latest tender represents a revised procurement process for the same scheme.
The project comprises a water transmission system from Mirfa, alongside distribution networks serving farms and settlements in the western region.
According to details seen by MEED, the latest scope includes a pumping station at Mirfa with a capacity of 128 million imperial gallons a day, about 125 kilometres of transmission pipelines to Muzairah, with branches to Madinat Zayed and Liwa Summit, and storage tanks at the three locations.
The distribution network is divided into four geographic clusters covering Liwa East, Liwa West, Madinat Zayed and Seih Al-Kheir. The works include associated pipelines, pumping stations and storage facilities.
The earlier procurement was structured as an engineering, procurement and construction scheme, divided between transmission and distribution works.
As MEED understands, the latest tender is being pursued under a design, build and operate model, which extends the contractor’s responsibilities to operating the infrastructure after construction.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20758109/main2934.jpg -
Contractors prepare prices for Adnoc Onshore field facilities project20 October 2026

Contractors are preparing commercial bids for Adnoc Onshore’s project to build on-plot and off-plot facilities at the Rumaitha and Shanayel fields in Abu Dhabi’s North East Bab oil field cluster.
The project will enhance and sustain crude output at Rumaitha and Shanayel at 45,000 barrels a day (b/d), supporting Adnoc’s Accelerated Integrated Programme 5 (AiP5) drive to lift capacity to 5 million b/d by 2027.
Adnoc Onshore issued the main tender for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on 19 June. Contractors submitted technical bids by 5 August, sources told MEED.
The on-plot works include adding a crude processing train, produced water treatment and reinjection systems, surface water pumps, and multi-stage gas compression and dehydration units. Works also include utilities, safety and control systems, modifications to existing Phase 1 units and 220kV power infrastructure.
The off-plot scope includes installing and tying in new gas-lifted producer and water-injection wells, as well as building and expanding wellhead clusters. Contractors will also lay crude-gathering, water-injection and gas-export pipelines connecting to the Adnoc Gas network and extend 33kV overhead power lines across the fields.
The tender follows Adnoc Onshore’s shift in strategy for the wider North East Bab development – comprising the Al-Nouf, Rumaitha and Shanayel fields – after scrapping an earlier engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) approach. MEED reported in December that the operator had cancelled an off-plot EPCm contract awarded to China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) in October 2024. Adnoc later cancelled a separate on-plot EPCm tender that it received bids for in the second quarter of 2025.
In addition to the North East cluster, Adnoc Onshore continues to make progress on EPC works for another similar project to build off-plot facilities at the South East cluster of oil fields in Abu Dhabi, which is also integral to Adnoc Group’s AiP5 campaign.
The South East cluster comprises the Asab, Mender, Qusahwira, Sahil and Shah fields and accounts for approximately a third of Adnoc Onshore’s oil production capacity.
MEED previously reported that Adnoc Onshore awarded CPECC the EPC works for the South East off-plot facilities project, with the contract value estimated at around $1.2bn.
CPECC is also performing EPC works on the South East on-plot facilities project in a consortium with Greece-headquartered Archirodon. Adnoc Onshore awarded an estimated $1.5bn contract for that project to the consortium in December 2024, with EPC works scheduled for completion in 2027.
ALSO READ: Adnoc Onshore seeks bids for Bu Hasa field EOR project
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20757699/main.jpeg