EGA Declares Force Majeure After Strike on Al Taweelah

Emirates Global Aluminium declared force majeure after Iranian missiles and drones struck its Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Economic Zone on March 28. The company said the strikes damaged smelting circuits, disrupted operations and led it to suspend deliveries under certain contracts while it assesses the site and begins repairs.

Al Taweelah is one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters. The facility produced about 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal in 2025. EGA warned that restoring full capacity could take up to 12 months as teams inspect equipment, clear metal blockages in smelting circuits and carry out repairs.

Force majeure is a legal protection that releases a supplier from contractual delivery obligations when unforeseen events prevent performance. EGA invoked that protection because the damage reduced its ability to meet some supply commitments and created uncertainty about restart dates.

The strike follows other disruptions in the Gulf. Aluminium Bahrain shut three smelting lines earlier in March after shipments were halted when the Strait of Hormuz closed. Qatar’s Qatalum also paused operations after LNG production was suspended following strikes on regional energy infrastructure. Gulf producers account for roughly 9% of global primary aluminium output.

Market indicators show tighter supply. Analysts estimate conflict-related outages in the Middle East could remove about 3 million to 3.5 million tonnes of aluminium output in 2026 from a market that produced just under 74 million tonnes in 2025. London Metal Exchange aluminium prices have risen above $3,500 per tonne, and LME warehouse stocks have fallen by about 60% since last May.

Aluminium is used in aerospace, automotive, packaging and solar panel manufacturing. Buyers and manufacturers that rely on Gulf-sourced premium aluminium face reduced availability and higher prices while producers finalize repair plans and restart schedules.

EGA and other Gulf producers are expected to provide further updates as repair work progresses and timelines are confirmed. The reopening of shipping lanes and any regional de-escalation will affect how long production losses persist.