Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), recognized as the world’s largest aluminium smelter on a single site, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Shandong Innovation Group (SIG) and BlueFive Capital. The agreement aims to create a framework for joint investments, sharing best practices, and forming strategic international alliances.
The collaboration brings together Alba’s operational scale, SIG’s expertise in advanced aluminium alloy manufacturing, and BlueFive Capital’s experience as a strategic investor connecting the Gulf Cooperation Council region with Asia.
Ali Al Baqali, Chief Executive Officer of Alba, said: “This strategic MoU with our partners marks a commitment to global resilience and resource security. While we maintain our position as the world’s largest single-site smelter, this alliance provides the mechanism to pursue upstream investment opportunities beyond Bahrain’s borders. By securing our raw material flow and expanding our international reach, we are taking decisive action to sustain Alba’s leadership and ensure a robust future for Bahrain’s industrial sector.”
Charles Cui, Vice Chairman of Shandong Innovation Group, commented: “Shandong Innovation Group is excited to unite our world-class manufacturing capabilities with the smelting leadership of Alba and the strategic vision of BlueFive Capital. This partnership is founded on a shared vision for a more resilient and integrated global aluminium industry, and we are committed to leveraging our ability to both provide access to secure and innovative supply chains for critical materials and share knowledge to set new standards for the industry worldwide.”
Hazem Ben-Gacem, Founder and Chief Executive of BlueFive Capital, stated: “Today’s signing lays the foundation for a powerful trilateral bridge connecting industrial leadership, technological innovation, and strategic capital. BlueFive Capital is proud to act as the catalyst for this collaboration in line with our mission to create partnerships that drive not only financial returns but also create new growth pathways for our partners beyond their traditional markets – in this case, creating a new paradigm for cross-border cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and China.”
The partnership reflects ongoing efforts by companies in the aluminium sector to strengthen supply chains through international cooperation.
