Partnership aims to establish local gallium production for global supply chain resilience.
Tawazun Council, the aerospace and defence company RTX (NYSE: RTX) and Emirates Global Aluminium, the world’s largest producer of ‘premium aluminium’, signed an MOU to establish EGA as a new producer of gallium, a critical mineral used across global supply chains.
This initiative will create gallium extraction and refining capabilities at EGA’s alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi and make the UAE the world’s second largest producer of gallium.
Gallium has applications across many different sectors, including in the production of semiconductors, electric vehicles, medical devices and telecom infrastructure. For the defence industry, the supply of gallium is critical as it is a key component of defence products including advanced radars. This new agreement would secure access to this critical mineral for companies including RTX.
Tawazun Council is spearheading efforts through its Tawazun Economic Programme, a strategic initiative focused on attracting cutting-edge technologies, accelerating knowledge transfer, and building robust national industrial capabilities. This approach is vital to reinforcing the UAE’s industrial security posture, ensuring the country’s defence sector remains resilient and competitive amid global challenges.
H.E Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of Tawazun Council, highlighted that the project aligns seamlessly with the Council’s new strategy 2025–2028, which prioritises building a competitive national industrial base and advancing cutting-edge infrastructure to ensure industrial and technological security. Central to this strategy is attracting high-quality investments, expanding strategic partnerships locally and internationally, and empowering Emirati talent.
He described the project as a pivotal milestone in developing the UAE’s vital industries, positioning the country as a global leader in gallium production — a rare metal essential for sectors including semiconductors, military radar, electric vehicles, medical technology, and telecommunications. Dr. Al Nuaimi emphasised its strategic role in strengthening production and export capacities while establishing an independent national supply base and cementing the UAE’s status as a forward-looking industrial hub globally.
“The aerospace and defence industry relies on stable access to rare earth elements,” said Paolo Dal Cin, senior vice president for operations and supply chain at RTX. “Today’s agreement puts us on a path towards a reliable supply of gallium, needed for production of critical aerospace and defence solutions.”
EGA and RTX anticipate entering into an agreement to conduct a feasibility study for a high purity gallium plant at EGA’s Al Taweelah alumina refinery, which processes bauxite ore into alumina, the feedstock for aluminium smelters. Gallium is found in trace amounts in bauxite. As gallium is an impurity in aluminium, gallium levels must be carefully managed in metal for the most demanding applications.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “Gallium is an important metal for the most advanced electronics systems but remains commercially challenging to produce. This agreement between Tawazun Council, EGA, and RTX makes the development of a new source of gallium in the UAE feasible, creating an additional revenue stream for EGA and a new industrial capability for the UAE in line with our nation’s industrial growth strategy Operation 300bn. We look forward to making progress on this project with our partners.”