EGA Announces Force Majeure for Some Products After Hit to Taweelah Plant
Iranian Drone Attack Causes Significant Damage to UAE Smelter, Triggering Potential Year-Long Production Halt and Contract Suspensions
- Publish date: Monday، 13 April 2026 Reading time: 3 min reads
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), one of the largest non-oil industrial conglomerates in the UAE, has declared force majeure for certain products following significant damage to its Al Taweelah plant caused by an Iranian drone attack. The declaration marks a critical disruption in the global aluminium supply chain, affecting customers worldwide.
In a statement, the company acknowledged that while many customers remain unaffected, the severity of the damage has necessitated the invocation of force majeure clauses for specific product lines. These clauses legally allow suppliers to suspend contractual obligations without penalty when unforeseen events beyond their control prevent delivery.
The attack, which occurred on March 28, targeted the production centre located within the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi. The facility, which includes a smelter, cast house, power plant, alumina refinery, and recycling plant, was fully evacuated, and the centres entered an emergency shutdown.
EGA stated that early assessments indicate a complete restoration of primary aluminium production could take up to 12 months. To resume operations, the company must repair extensive infrastructure damage and progressively restore each of the reduction cells, a complex and time-consuming process.
However, there is hope for partial recovery sooner. The Al Taweelah alumina refinery and the recycling plant may be able to restart some production earlier than the smelter, depending on the final assessment of the site damage.
The incident is part of a broader escalation in the region. On the same day, March 28, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) was also attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. Alba has subsequently declared force majeure on its deliveries and initiated a "controlled and safe shutdown" of approximately 19 per cent of its production capacity due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had previously closed.
Both EGA and Alba are pivotal suppliers to the global aluminium market. EGA's Al Taweelah smelter alone produced 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal last year. The company serves more than 400 customers across at least 50 countries, selling a total of 2.84 million tonnes of cast metal annually.
EGA emphasized that it holds substantial metal stock on the water, on the ground in the UAE, and some overseas locations, which may help mitigate immediate shortages for some clients. Nevertheless, the declaration of force majeure signals a significant tightening of supply for the construction, automotive, packaging, aerospace, and electronics industries that rely on UAE aluminium.
As the region grapples with the aftermath of the attacks, the global market watches closely to see how long the production hiatus will last and whether alternative supply chains can fill the gap left by the world's largest primary aluminium producers.