DUBAL’s 22nd year of golf sponsorship builds the business

International tournament provides platform for promoting the company through its customers

The 2013 Omega Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament (“the Omega DDC”), which took place at the Emirates Golf Club from 31 January to 3 February, was a resounding success for Dubai Aluminium (“DUBAL”) — which has sponsored the PGA European Tour-sanctioned event since 1992 (i.e. 22 consecutive years).

Khalid Buhumaid (Vice President,
 Corporate Relations & International Affairs)

With a hot metal production capacity in excess of one million metric tonnes per year, DUBAL’s Jebel Ali complex ranks as the world’s largest single-site primary aluminium smelter using pre-baked anodes. The company, which is widely acknowledged as the UAE’s industrial flagship, also owns 50 per cent of Emirates Aluminium (“EMAL”) in Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, where EMAL Phase I has been fully operational for two years. Construction of EMAL Phase II, which will increase EMAL’s total production capacity to 1.3 million tonnes per year, began mid-2011. In addition, DUBAL holds shares in upstream development projects.

Khalid Buhumaid (Vice President: Corporate Relations & International Affairs) advises that DUBAL’s involvement with the Omega DDC serves several purposes. “As a good corporate citizen, DUBAL actively supports community-based initiatives and the broader goals of the Dubai government. By sponsoring high profile, international sporting events, we help to showcase Dubai’s superb tourism and business infrastructure to international audiences — which contributes to the socio-economic growth of the city and Emirate of Dubai,” says Buhumaid. “Naturally, our involvement in the tournament over the years has also served to promote DUBAL as a world-class industrial enterprise, locally and internationally. Each year, we leverage the opportunity to demonstrate our company’s genuine interest in our customers from across the globe by inviting them to attend the tournament; holding scheduled business meetings during their stay in Dubai; and providing an entertaining social programme. These initiatives allow us to build on our existing long-term relationships and consolidate our business plans.”

“This year, our objectives have again been successfully fulfilled,” Buhumaid continues. “Not only were our business meetings extremely constructive, but also our customers and other guests have returned home with very positive memories of their experience in Dubai.”

Buhumaid concludes by expressing his congratulations to ‘golf in Dubai’, which has promoted and organised the Omega DDC since 2005. “The 2013 Omega Dubai Desert Classic was another professionally organised and extremely successful event. It is pleasing to see how DUBAL’s involvement and financial support has contributed to the Omega DDC’s evolution into internationally recognized tournament. The high standards set are a key factor in drawing the world’s golfing champions to the tournament, as well as in raising the profile of Dubai across the world.”