EGA becomes the world’s first aluminium producer to join the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil sector, has received international recognition by joining the Global Lighthouse Network of the World Economic Forum (WEF). This network highlights manufacturing plants that have successfully implemented Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies at scale.

EGA thus becomes the first industrial organisation in the United Arab Emirates and the first aluminium producer worldwide to be part of this prestigious network, thanks to its technology-driven transformation and its ability to significantly improve operational performance through advanced digital solutions.

A key element of this transformation has been investment in human talent, with more than 3,000 employees trained in artificial intelligence, data analytics and agile methodologies. The adoption of 4IR and AI technologies has generated more than AED 365 million (around USD 100 million) in financial value over three years through more than 80 digital use cases, while raising standards for safety, product quality and environmental performance.

At its Al Taweelah plant, EGA has halved downtime, reduced non-productive time by 18% and increased overall equipment effectiveness by 12%, also drawing on locally developed industrial technologies. Its new digital manufacturing platform has cut the costs of AI image and video analysis by more than 80% and accelerated processes by up to 13 times compared with previous systems.

According to Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, this recognition reinforces the United Arab Emirates’ leadership in adopting advanced technologies and opens opportunities for collaboration and learning with other companies in the network, strengthening EGA’s competitiveness in 4IR- and AI-driven innovation, efficiency and sustainability. The company launched its digital transformation strategy in 2021 and remains committed to expanding technological capabilities and achieving world-class levels of operational excellence.