Aluminium Bahrain
Alba (Aluminium Bahrain) is one of the Gulf's largest aluminium smelters, supplying global aerospace and automotive sectors.
Last refreshed: 29 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Gulf states protect civilian industry while hosting the US forces Iran is retaliating against?
Latest on Aluminium Bahrain
- What is Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)?
- Alba is one of the world's largest single-site aluminium smelters, incorporated in 1968 in Bahrain. Majority-owned by Bahrain's Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund, it produced a record 1.62 million tonnes in 2025 with roughly US$4.3 billion in annual revenue.
- Was Alba attacked by Iran?
- Yes. On 28 March 2026, IRGC missiles and drones struck Alba's smelter in Bahrain, injuring two workers and damaging infrastructure. It was part of a coordinated attack that simultaneously hit Emirates Global Aluminium in Abu Dhabi.Source: event
- Who owns Aluminium Bahrain?
- Mumtalakat (Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund) holds 69.4%, Saudi Arabian Mining Company Maaden holds 20.6%, and the remaining 10% is a public float on the Bahrain Bourse.
- How does Alba compare to Emirates Global Aluminium?
- Both are major Gulf aluminium producers struck by Iran on the same day. EGA is slightly larger (4% of global output vs Alba's ~2.5%) and UAE state-owned. Alba is older (1968 vs 2013) and partially Saudi-owned via Maaden's 20.6% stake.Source: event
Background
Aluminium Bahrain was incorporated in 1968 and began smelting in 1971. Owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat (69.4%), Saudi mining company Maaden (20.6%), and a public float (10%), Alba completed a US$3 billion expansion in 2019 that lifted capacity to over 1.62 million tonnes per annum. It set a production record of 1,623,139 tonnes in 2025, generating roughly US$4.3 billion in annual revenue.
The IRGC struck Alba's smelter in Bahrain on 28 March 2026, injuring two workers and damaging site infrastructure in a coordinated attack that simultaneously hit Emirates Global Aluminium in Abu Dhabi . Tehran claimed both plants supplied US military aerospace; Bahrain and Alba rejected the allegation.
Together with EGA, Alba accounts for the majority of Gulf aluminium capacity. The coordinated strikes on both plants expanded Iran's Economic warfare from energy infrastructure to civilian industry, exposing the vulnerability of every major facility in states that host American bases. Global aerospace and automotive supply chains face disruption if either smelter stays offline.
