Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 11 March 2025: The Women's Network of Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, welcomed Her Excellency Mariam AlHammadi, Minister of State and the Secretary General of the United Arab Emirates Cabinet, to discuss the expanding role of women across the nation's industrial sector and driving gender diversity in the UAE

EGA Women's Network held the summit at the company's headquarters in Al Taweelah, hosting VIP guests from participating companies as part of EGA's Challenger programme, an initiative dedicated to promoting gender diversity across UAE industry.

This included representation from leading UAE companies such as ADNOC, DUCAB, Technic FMC, Strata Manufacturing, as well as partnership agencies, Nama and Impactiv.

The summit's opening keynote was facilitated by Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, who touched upon the vital role of men as allies to gender equity. A panel discussion was also held exploring how women in heavy industries drive change rapidly, aligning with this year's International Women's Day theme, 'Accelerate Action.'

EGA aims to have women hold 25 per cent of supervisory roles by the end of 2025, and 15 per cent of all roles by the end of 2026. Currently, women hold 23.3 per cent of supervisory roles and 9.6 per cent of all roles at the company.

EGA hired some 200 women during the past year of which110 were UAE National women. This accounted for more than half of company's Emirati intake for the year.

The company has increased the number of women within its workforce by 131 per cent since launching its gender diversity programme, growing from 291 women in April 2022 to 673 by the end of last year. This reflected an increase in representation across the entirety of EGA's workforce at different levels of the organisation.

Some 65 of the women joiners were in EGA's National Training programmes, which prepare high school leavers for technical and administrative roles in the company's industrial facilities and administration. The majority of EGA's 2024 graduate trainee intake was also women.

H.E. Maryam AlHammadi, Minister of State and the Secretary General of the United Arab Emirates Cabinet said: 'Starting my career as the first Emirati woman working in the UAE's first aluminium smelter in the former Dubai Aluminium (Dubal). I have witnessed first-hand the UAE's remarkable transformation in gender equality. Today, Emirati women are not just participants in progress—they are leading it, shaping the future across all sectors. Our journey is built on a legacy of empowerment, visionary leadership and bold legislative reforms. Our commitment remains unwavering: investing in women is investing in a prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive future for all.'

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: 'EGA is a champion on gender diversity in industry because we know that diverse organisations perform better. We aim to increase women's participation across all levels, ensuring our workplaces reflect the full talent and diversity of the UAE. By taking tangible steps, like inclusive policies and leadership development, we are accelerating progress toward a truly gender-equitable industrial sector.'

EGA continues to invest in modernising its infrastructure across its operations, ensuring ample facilities are present for its ever-expanding female workforce. The implementation of awareness training and support programmes have become the foundation of EGA's inclusion practices, leading to diverse teams operating under the vision that all can equally contribute to the growth of the organisation.

Women at EGA have successfully integrated themselves across several traditionally male-dominated areas — from holding junior roles on the shop floor to fully-fledged fire fighters operating with EGA's emergency response teams.

During the seminar, EGA highlighted the latest development from 'Break the Mould', an initiative which aims to inspire young women with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to follow in the footsteps of pioneering women who have contributed significantly to the UAE's industrial sector.

In 2023, EGA launched the Challenger Programme, bringing together leading industrial companies to promote gender diversity in industry by addressing shared practical challenges.

Since its inception, the initiative has advanced research examining the participation of women in STEM-related industries. Women in STEM fields within the global industrial workforce stand at 28.2 per cent with the greatest representation in utilities, oil, gas and mining, and infrastructure.

In the UAE, 56 per cent of UAE government university graduates in STEM are women representing a strong talent pool for heavy industries.