This new research facility, located at Khalifa University’s main campus in Abu Dhabi, will spearhead research in high-temperature materials within the UAE. It will serve as a vital resource for developing industrial use cases and validating academic findings. Currently, the UAE relies on international partners for its research needs in high-temperature materials used across academic and industrial applications.

The UAE’s inaugural high-temperature materials laboratory will lead national research initiatives in refractories, carbon-based materials, anode baking furnaces, and waste management. As a key player in the UAE’s non-oil and gas industrial sector, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) aims to utilize its market presence to develop energy solutions for carbon-intensive processes like aluminum smelting. Through this facility, EGA is working towards achieving its ambitious net-zero goals and decarbonization targets by 2050, in alignment with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

Sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company will leverage this agreement to nurture the UAE’s growing academic talent. Its focus will be on R&D programs aimed at applied research and developing solutions in areas of critical technical need, positioning Mubadala at the forefront of this landmark initiative.

EGA’s collaborations with educational institutions in the UAE position it as a key partner in the country’s entry into high-temperature material testing and development. With established international partnerships with the University of Auckland, University of New South Wales, and MIT, alongside local collaborations with Khalifa University, the American University of Sharjah, Rochester Institute of Technology, Abu Dhabi University, and the American University in Dubai, EGA is well-placed to lead innovation in this emerging area of the UAE’s industrial sector.