Bahrain: Alba posts $48.2mln Q1 profit, production costs impact
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the world's largest aluminium smelter on one site, has reported a profit of BD18.1 million ($48.2 million) for the first quarter of 2025, a drop of 25.9% year-over-year (YoY), versus a profit of BD24.5 million ($65 million) for the same period in 2024.
The company reported basic and diluted earnings per share of fils 13 for Q1 2025 versus fils 17 for the same period in 2024.
Total comprehensive income for Q1 2025 stood at BD16.8 million versus BD27.7 million for the same period in 2024 – a drop of 39.4% YoY. Gross profit for Q1 2025 was BD50.8 million versus BD 57.3 million for the same period in 2024 - down by 11.3% YoY.
With regards to the revenue from contracts with customers, Alba generated BD408.9 million versus BD334.6 million in Q1 2024 – up by 22.2% YoY.
Total equity as of 31 March 2025 stood at BD1,902.7 million, down by 1.1%, versus BD1,923.9 million, as of 31 December 2024. Alba's total assets as of 31 March 2025 were BD2,706.9 million versus BD2,673.4 million as of 31 December 2024 – up by 1.25%.
Higher LME price (+20% YoY) and higher premiums (+38% YoY) drove strong top-line performance, increased production costs significantly compressed EBITDA resulting in lower bottom-line.
Alba's Operational Highlights
o Despite market challenges, sales volume reached a healthy 374,809 MT, up by 3% YoY.
o Net finished production dipped slightly by 2% YoY to reach 396,866 MT.
o Value Added Sales (VAP) averaged 71% of total shipments, marking an increase of 5% YoY [VAP: 265,657 MT in Q1'25 versus 252,772 MT in Q1'24].
o Achieved savings for e-Al Hassalah at US$30.9 million against 2025 Target of US$60 million.
LME Price & Premiums
o LME Price averaged $2,629/t in Q1 2025 (+20% YoY) and was supported by low global inventories of 459,000 MT (down by 17% YoY) and modest supply growth. However, towards the end of Q1, LME prices started to decline given changes in trade policies.
o Premiums: Following the implementation of tariffs in the US, regional premiums surged by 77% YoY. DDP Rotterdam and MJP premiums up by 17% and 153% YoY respectively mainly due to depletion of inventories and geopolitical factors.
Commenting on the Company's performance for the first quarter of 2025, the Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, Khalid Al Rumaihi stated: 'Alba's Q1 2025 results underscore the fundamental strength and operational efficiency of our business.
'While our reported profit reflects the significant impact of higher alumina prices, it's important to recognise that had these prices remained at previous levels, Alba would have undoubtedly achieved an unparalleled financial performance, demonstrating our inherent earnings potential.'
Alba's Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, added: 'Despite the prevailing global geopolitical tensions, Q1 2025 was a landmark period for Alba marked by many firsts: we recorded the highest sales volume, achieved a record Value Added Sales percentage and most importantly, delivered our best safety performance ever in the Company's history.
'These firsts are a direct result of the commitment and operational excellence exhibited by the entire Alba team.'
Other highlights of the quarter:
Alba celebrates ESG achievements
Safety First. Safety Always
o Alba wins six National Safety Council Awards for 2025.
o Honoured with Prestigious RoSPA Life President Award for Unparalleled Safety Excellence.
o Launched plant-wide Safety and Health Campaign 'Be an Albawee in Ramadan'.
Empowering People
o 56 national employees completed Alba's 'Al Jisr' training & development programme.
o Promoted 3 Bahraini talent to key managerial positions.
o Celebrated promotion of 2,082 Bahraini employees over the past 5 years and 87% Bahrainisation rate.
o 15 exceptional employees, including 7 women, were recognised with the 'Inspirational Employee of the Year' Award.
Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship
o Embarked on a pilot programme for an electric, battery-powered Aluminium Fluoride (AlF3) feeding vehicle in potlines.
o Joined Sea Cargo Charter as its Newest Signatory, Reinforcing Sustainable Shipping Commitment.
o Recognised top-performing contracting companies for their top performance in Safety and well-being of workers in Alba.
Community Impact
o Alba joined Tamkeen's Open Innovation Program to obtain innovative solutions from Bahraini startups and SMEs - first company in Bahrain to join the program.
Alba: Safe, Sustainable, Successful
Leading the Way: Safety First, Sustainability Always
o Aligned with Bahrain's 2060 vision of net-zero emissions, Alba embeds sustainability from raw material sourcing to product delivery, minimising environmental footprint.
Operational Excellence and Growth
o Exceed 2024 Net Finished Production of 1,622,261 MT.
o Achieve e-Al Hassalah 2025 Target of $60 million, progressing towards 2026 Target of $150 million.
Capacity Expansion and Efficiency Enhancement
o Leverage its industry-leading certifications such as Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), EcoVadis and Low-Carbon Aluminium EternAlTM to penetrate new markets & boost Value Added Sales (VAP) sales.
o Complete solar farm (+6 MW) to enhance green energy utilisation.
o Establish Alba Daiki Sustainable Solutions (ADSS) for aluminium dross processing by September 2026.
o Complete feasibility study for the New Replacement Line which will replace Reduction Lines 1-3. -
Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Business
an hour ago
- Arabian Business
UAE businesses confident of international trade growth despite tariff woes
Businesses in the UAE remain highly confident in their international trade prospects, with 94 per cent saying they expect to grow cross-border trade in the near future, according to HSBC's 2025 Global Trade Pulse Survey. Despite ongoing uncertainty and cost headwinds from tariffs, UAE firms are leaning into enhanced planning and digital solutions to stay ahead. The HSBC survey offers insight into the business plans and sentiment of more than 5,700 international firms across 13 markets regarding tariffs and trade. UAE business optimism It reveals that two thirds of corporations globally have already experienced cost increases due to tariff and trade uncertainty – and the worst may be yet to come. In contrast, companies in the UAE are incredibly optimistic about their future international trade prospects, as they have not suffered particularly pronounced impacts on cost yet, though they do expect to in the short-and-long-term. Deyana Cherneva, Head of Global Trade Solutions, Middle East North Africa and Türkiye, HSBC Bank Middle East said: 'Corporates in the UAE have their counter strategies ready in response to the rapidly evolving trade landscape. Using data, investing in supply chains, and increasing reliance on the Middle East, China, and Europe corridors, are part of their plans. 'Geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts have been a mainstay across decades and resilient businesses know how to adapt and respond. What is encouraging to see is that 75 per cent of corporates in the UAE plan to use the trade uncertainty as an opportunity to evolve and explore new opportunities.' Key findings include: The United Arab Emirates' proactive approach is also reflected in increased regional trade ties. 62 per cent of surveyed UAE firms say they are ramping up reliance on the Middle East, followed by China (47 per cent) and Europe (43 per cent).
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity: savior or saboteur?
Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as both a cornerstone of innovation and a ticking time bomb in the realm of cybersecurity. Once viewed predominantly as a force for good, enabling smarter threat detection, automating incident responses, and predicting attacks before they happen — AI has now taken on a double-edged role. The very capabilities that make it invaluable to cybersecurity professionals are now being exploited by cybercriminals to launch faster, more convincing, and more damaging attacks. From phishing emails indistinguishable from real business correspondence to deepfake videos that impersonate CEOs and public figures with chilling accuracy, AI is arming attackers with tools that were previously the stuff of science fiction. And as large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and deep learning evolve, the tactics used by bad actors are becoming more scalable, precise, and difficult to detect. 'The threat landscape is fundamentally shifting,' says Sergey Lozhkin, Head of the Global Research & Analysis Team for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa at Kaspersky. 'From the outset, cybercriminals began using large language models to craft highly convincing phishing emails. Poor grammar and awkward phrasing — once dead giveaways are disappearing. Today's scams can perfectly mimic tone, structure, and professional language.' But the misuse doesn't stop at email. Attackers are now using AI to create fake websites, generate deceptive images, and even produce deepfake audio and video to impersonate trusted figures. In some cases, these tactics have tricked victims into transferring large sums of money or divulging sensitive data. According to Roland Daccache, Senior Manager – Sales Engineering at CrowdStrike MEA, AI is now being used across the entire attack chain. 'Generative models are fueling more convincing phishing lures, deepfake-based social engineering, and faster malware creation. For example, DPRK-nexus adversary Famous Chollima used genAI to create fake LinkedIn profiles and résumé content to infiltrate organisations as IT workers. In another case, attackers used AI-generated voice and video deepfakes to impersonate executives for high-value business email compromise (BEC) schemes.' The cybercrime community is also openly discussing how to weaponize LLMs for writing exploits, shell commands, and malware scripts on dark web forums, further lowering the barrier of entry for would-be hackers. This democratisation of hacking tools means that even novice cybercriminals can now orchestrate sophisticated attacks with minimal effort. Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder of CertiK, a leading blockchain cybersecurity firm, highlights how AI is empowering attackers to scale and personalize their strategies. 'AI-generated phishing that mirrors human tone, deepfake technology for social engineering, and adaptive tools that bypass detection are allowing even low-skill threat actors to act with precision. For advanced groups, AI brings greater automation and effectiveness.' On the technical front, Janne Hirvimies, Chief Technology Officer of QuantumGate, notes a growing use of AI in reconnaissance and brute-force tactics. 'Threat actors use AI to automate phishing, conduct rapid data scraping, and craft malware that adapts in real time. Techniques like reinforcement learning are being explored for lateral movement and exploit optimisation, making attacks faster and more adaptive.' Fortifying Cyber Defenses To outsmart AI-enabled attackers, enterprises must embed AI not just as a support mechanism, but as a central system in their cybersecurity strategy. 'AI has been a core part of our operations for over two decades,' says Lozhkin. 'Without it, security operations center (SOC) analysts can be overwhelmed by alert fatigue and miss critical threats.' Kaspersky's approach focuses on AI-powered alert triage and prioritisation through advanced machine learning, which filters noise and surfaces the most pressing threats. 'It's not just about automation — it's about augmentation,' Lozhkin explains. 'Our AI Technology Research Centre ensures we pair this power with human oversight. That combination of cutting-edge analytics and skilled professionals enables us to detect over 450,000 malicious objects every day.' But the AI evolution doesn't stop at smarter alerts. According to Daccache, the next frontier is agentic AI — a system that can autonomously detect, analyze, and respond to threats in real time. 'Traditional automation tools can only go so far,' Daccache says. 'What's needed is AI that thinks and acts — what we call agentic capabilities. This transforms AI from a passive observer into a frontline responder.' CrowdStrike's Charlotte AI, integrated within its Falcon platform, embodies this vision. It understands security telemetry in context, prioritises critical incidents, and initiates immediate countermeasures, reducing analyst workload and eliminating delays during high-stakes incidents. 'That's what gives defenders the speed and consistency needed to combat fast-moving, AI-enabled threats,' Daccache adds. Gu believes AI's strength lies in its ability to analyze massive volumes of data and identify nuanced threat patterns that traditional tools overlook. 'AI-powered threat detection doesn't replace human decision-making — it amplifies it,' Gu explains. 'With intelligent triage and dynamic anomaly detection, AI reduces response time and makes threat detection more proactive.' He also stresses the importance of training AI models on real-world, diverse datasets to ensure adaptability. 'The threat landscape is not static. Your AI defenses shouldn't be either,' Gu adds. At the core of any robust AI integration strategy lies data — lots of it. Hirvimies advocates for deploying machine learning models across SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms. 'These systems can correlate real-time threat intelligence, behavioral anomalies, and system events to deliver faster, more precise responses,' he says. 'Especially when it comes to detecting novel or stealthy attack patterns, machine learning makes the difference between catching a threat and becoming a headline.' Balancing Innovation with Integrity While AI can supercharge threat detection, response times, and threat simulations, it also brings with it the potential for misuse, collateral damage, and the erosion of privacy. 'Ethical AI use demands transparency, clear boundaries, and responsible data handling,' says Lozhkin.'Organisations must also ensure that employees are properly trained in the safe use of AI tools to avoid misuse or unintended exposure to threats.' He highlights Kaspersky's Automated Security Awareness Platform, which now includes dedicated sections on AI-assisted threats and responsible usage, reflecting the company's commitment to proactive education. When AI is deployed in red teaming or simulated cyberattacks, the risk matrix expands. Gu warns that AI systems, if left unchecked, can make decisions devoid of human context, potentially leading to unintended and widespread consequences. 'Ethical AI governance, robust testing environments, and clearly defined boundaries are essential,' he says, underlining the delicate balance required to simulate threats without crossing into unethical territory. Daccache emphasises the importance of a privacy-first, security-first approach. 'AI must be developed and operated with Privacy-by-Design and Secure-by-Design principles,' he explains. 'This extends to protecting the AI systems themselves — including their training data, operational logic, and outputs—from adversarial manipulation.' Daccache also points to the need for securing both AI-generated queries and outputs, especially in sensitive operations like red teaming. Without such safeguards, there's a real danger of data leakage or misuse. 'Transparency, accountability, and documentation of AI's capabilities and limitations are vital, not just to build trust, but to meet regulatory and ethical standards,' he adds. Despite AI's growing autonomy, human oversight remains non-negotiable. 'While AI can accelerate simulations and threat detection, it must be guided by skilled professionals who can interpret its actions with context and responsibility,' says Daccache. This human-AI collaboration ensures that the tools remain aligned with organisational values and ethical norms. Hirvimies rounds out the conversation with additional cautionary notes: 'Privacy violations, data misuse, bias in training datasets, and the misuse of offensive tools are pressing concerns. Transparent governance and strict ethical guidelines aren't optional, they're essential.' Balancing the Equation While AI promises speed, scale, and smarter defense mechanisms, experts caution that an over-reliance on these systems, especially when deployed without proper calibration and oversight — could expose organisations to new forms of risk. 'Absolutely, over-reliance on AI can backfire if systems are not properly calibrated or monitored,' says Lozhkin. 'Adversarial attacks where threat actors feed manipulated data to mislead AI are a growing concern. Additionally, AI can generate false positives, which can overwhelm security teams and lead to alert fatigue. To avoid this, companies should use a layered defence strategy, retrain models frequently, and maintain human oversight to validate AI-driven alerts and decisions.' This warning resonates across the cybersecurity landscape. Daccache echoes the concern, emphasising the need for transparency and control. 'Over-relying on AI, especially when treated as a black box, carries real risks. Adversaries are already targeting AI systems — from poisoning training data to crafting inputs that exploit model blind spots,' he explains. 'Without the right guardrails, AI can produce false positives or inconsistent decisions that erode trust and delay response.' Daccache stresses that AI must remain a tool that complements — not replaces—human decision-making. 'AI should be an extension of human judgement. That requires transparency, control, and context at every layer of deployment. High-quality data is essential, but so is ensuring outcomes are explainable, repeatable and operationally sound,' he says. 'Organisations should adopt AI systems that accelerate outcomes and are verifiable, auditable and secure by design.' Gu adds that blind spots in AI models can lead to serious lapses. 'AI systems are not infallible,' he says. 'Over-reliance can lead to susceptibility to adversarial inputs or overwhelming volumes of false positives that strain human analysts. To mitigate this, organizations should adopt a human-in-the-loop approach, combine AI insights with contextual human judgment, and routinely stress-test models against adversarial tactics.' Gu also warns about the evolving tactics of bad actors. 'An AI provider might block certain prompts to prevent misuse, but attackers are constantly finding clever ways to circumvent these restrictions. This makes human intervention all the more important in companies' mitigation strategies.' Governing the Double-Edged Sword As AI continues to embed itself deeper into global digital infrastructure, the question of governance looms large: will we soon see regulations or international frameworks guiding how AI is used in both cyber defense and offense? Lozhkin underscores the urgency of proactive regulation. 'Yes, there should definitely be an international framework. AI technologies offer incredible efficiency and progress, but like any innovation, they carry their fair share of risks,' he says. 'At Kaspersky, we believe new technologies should be embraced, not feared. The key is to fully understand their threats and build strong, proactive security solutions that address those risks while enabling safe and responsible innovation.' For Daccache, the focus is not just on speculative regulation, but on instilling foundational principles in AI systems from the start. 'As AI becomes more embedded in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, questions around governance, risk, and accountability are drawing increased attention,' he explains. 'Frameworks like the GDPR already mandate technology-neutral protections, meaning what matters most is how organizations manage risk not whether AI is used.' Daccache emphasises that embedding Privacy-by-Design and Secure-by-Design into AI development is paramount. 'To support this approach, CrowdStrike offers AI Red Teaming Services, helping organisations proactively test and secure their AI systems against misuse and adversarial threats. It's one example of how we're enabling customers to adopt AI with confidence and a security-first mindset.' On the other hand, Gu highlights how AI is not only transforming defensive mechanisms but is also fuelling new forms of offensive capabilities. 'As AI becomes integral to both defence and offense in cyberspace, regulatory frameworks will be necessary to establish norms, ensure transparency, and prevent misuse. We expect to see both national guidelines and international cooperation similar to existing cybercrime treaties emerge to govern AI applications, particularly in areas involving privacy, surveillance, and offensive capabilities.' Echoing this sentiment, Hirvimies concludes by saying that developments are already underway. 'Yes. Regulations like the EU AI Act and global cyber norms are evolving to address dual-use AI,' he says. 'We can expect more international frameworks focused on responsible AI use in cyber defence, limits on offensive AI capabilities, and cross-border incident response cooperation. At QuantumGate, we've designed our products to support this shift and facilitate compliance with the country's cryptography regulations.'
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Abu Dhabi's Fahid Island plans give us another peek at the city's extraordinary future
Developer Aldar Properties this week announced its plans for Fahid Island, the sliver of land that sits between Abu Dhabi's Yas and Jubail islands and connects via the road-and-bridge network with Saadiyat. By doing so, we now have a more complete picture of the plan for this quartet of isles that cluster from the mainland near Zayed International Airport to the top of Abu Dhabi city and the Mina Zayed district – and a better sense of the city's present and its prospective future. The developer said at the launch of its Fahid master plan that it will deliver a range of luxury apartments, townhouses and villas to the island, as well as a range of other amenities. Aldar described the project as being designed to draw people from around the city to use its leisure facilities and it was expecting international interest in the scheme. Next door, development of Jubail Island carries on at pace as regular users of the Saadiyat highway will testify. JIIC, the investment company at the heart of the island's development, has previously said the project will combine six residential village estates. Jubail will also be home to a branch of Gordonstoun school, via a licensing agreement that will use the storied Scottish institution's expertise and curriculum. The plan also allows for the majority of the island to remain as a salt marsh and mangrove sanctuary. The natural beauty of Jubail's Mangrove Walking Park is already a fixture of the city's ever-expanding visitor experience. With each passing year, both Saadiyat and Yas, which bookend Jubail and Fahid, become more impressive environments. On Saadiyat, the multi-sensory experience that is TeamLab Phenomena opened in the cultural district earlier this spring. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum are rapidly moving from architectural dream to built reality. So too the Natural History Museum, which promises to be a time capsule that takes visitors back to millions of years ago. Louvre Abu Dhabi has been a much-loved fixture of Saadiyat since it opened in late 2017. Banks of housing stock are fast emerging from the ground, which also hosts prominent education establishments, restaurants, hotels and a long ribbon of luxury housing at its far boundary, known as Hidd. With each passing year, both Saadiyat and Yas, which bookend Jubail and Fahid, become more impressive environments Yas, the buffer before the mainland, rightly stakes its claim as a world-class entertainment destination with its concert arena, F1 track, multiple theme parks - Warner Bros, Yas Waterworld, Ferrari World and Seaworld - as well as hotels, offices, several hues of residential stock and a full suite of leisure pursuits. The latest announcement, delivered last month, is arguably the biggest headliner of them all: the arrival of Disneyland within a decade. Experts say the Disney effect is already in motion, with the announcement instantly creating more interest in the residential property market in the city. That may provide mixed news for those seeking to move to the island, with prices likely to increase, but the overall impact of Disney's arrival is largely positive. Certainly, its presence will also accelerate growth in some sectors of the job market, too. If the Disney effect is at work at one end of that chain of islands, the Bilbao or Guggenheim effect has also been long talked about at the other end, in the context of the cultural district. The introduction of the Guggenheim to the Spanish port city, now almost 30 years ago, helped kickstart economic development and urban regeneration. Its impact will be felt differently in Abu Dhabi, however, sitting as it will do within Saadiyat's constellation of cultural stars, but there is also little doubt the Guggenheim will have an effect in Abu Dhabi, too. It is easy to forget now that Saadiyat and Yas were only connected to the city in 2009, with the opening of the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and associated motorway that linked these islands with the mainland and the city and the complete offering we see now. The opening of that infrastructure was the moment that the exquisitely detailed scale models of what the future might look like began their journey towards the present. Around the same late aughts period, famed architect and urbanist Rem Koolhaas remarked 'the Gulf is not just reconfiguring itself, it's reconfiguring the world', in reference not just to the plans that were emerging across in the region. Perhaps people also took it to mean that the spectacular was possible in a way that had once been impossible, such as the world's tallest building opening in Dubai in 2009. It also used to be traditional to frame pieces about Abu Dhabi internationally with the idea of something extraordinary happening in the desert environment. With hindsight, those portrayals only told a fragment of the whole story, being overly focused on the possibility of structures emerging from barren ground rather than what was supporting that development in the first place. What they missed were the intangible assets of the city and the country, such as the safety of society – UAE cities are consistently ranked the safest in the world – and the certainty and confidence that means those visions were always destined to become reality. As much as the renderings and sketches are there to entice – in Fahid today, just as they were for yesteryear Saadiyat – it is that certainty about today that makes the possibility of tomorrow so exciting.
