Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the Middle East’s largest aluminum producer, announced on April 3 that its Al Taweelah production complex in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Economic Zone has been fully and permanently shut down following a missile and drone attack. The assault caused catastrophic power failure across the site, forcing an immediate evacuation of all personnel and halting every core operation: primary aluminum smelting, alumina refining, on-site power generation, and metal casting.
The Al Taweelah facility is one of the world’s largest integrated aluminum hubs. In 2025, it produced 1.6 million tonnes of primary aluminum—accounting for roughly 4% of global annual supply—and 2.4 million tonnes of alumina, meeting nearly half of EGA’s total alumina demand. The sudden, uncontrolled power loss triggered irreversible “pot freezing”: molten aluminum and electrolyte inside thousands of electrolytic cells solidified within hours, rendering the smelter inoperable. Full restoration of primary aluminum production is estimated to take up to 12 months, requiring complete infrastructure overhauls, cell replacement, and phased recommissioning.
EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban confirmed no fatalities, noting the site’s multinational workforce of over 40 nationalities was safely evacuated. “This attack targeted a cornerstone of the global industrial supply chain,” Bin Kalban stated. “We are prioritizing employee welfare and will support customers facing delivery disruptions.”
The shutdown has already roiled global markets. LME aluminum prices surged past $3,500 per tonne in the days following the announcement, up more than 8% week-on-week. With global aluminum inventories already at a 45-day low, the loss of Al Taweelah’s capacity—paired with ongoing disruptions at Bahrain’s Alba smelter—threatens to push the 2026 market from a small surplus into a significant deficit. Analysts warn the 12-month outage will tighten supply chains, raise premiums across North America, Europe, and Asia, and elevate costs for industries from automotive and construction to renewable energy.
As EGA begins damage assessments and long-term recovery planning, the incident underscores the vulnerability of critical industrial infrastructure to geopolitical tensions—and the far-reaching impact of regional shocks on global commodity markets.