The Middle East could be producing more than 10 per cent of the world's aluminium in less than a decade, according to industry experts.

Over the past 10 years, GCC states have begun implementing long-term strategies that aim to develop the region's aluminium industry, and the region is now well positioned to be one of the world's main aluminium producers.

In 2000, the GCC share of global aluminium production was 1.8 million metric tonnes per annum.

By 2008, this figure had risen to 2.2m metric tonnes per annum representing 5.4pc of global production, and it is expected to continue to increase to 6m metric tonnes per annum in 2015, and to 9m metric tonnes per annum in 2020 to reach 13pc of global production.

As the price of aluminium continues its quick recovery from the impact of the global crisis, MEED, the Middle East business intelligence provider, is preparing to host the Fourth Middle East Aluminium Conference.

Entitled 'Building a Sustainable Downstream Industry', the conference, which will take place at the Dubai Marina Address Hotel on March 16 to 17, provides a comprehensive overview of the Mena aluminium production and processing sector and its place in the global market, with focus on building a sustainable downstream sector for the region's industry.

'There are huge opportunities for investments in the region to capitalise on the production of primary metal by the region's major smelters,' said MEED Events chairman Edmund O'Sullivan.

'This year's event is bigger than ever, with dedicated streams for the upstream production and smelter side of the industry, and for the downstream processing and fabrication sector.

'The Middle East Aluminium 2010 Conference presents an ideal opportunity for the local aluminium sector to forge strategic partnerships and alliances with international and regional partners that will help them expand and keep the Middle East at the cutting edge of aluminium sector growth.'-TradeArabia News Service