Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA) announced last week that its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation has begun to offer support for the Boke region to ease the suffering caused by the current coronavirus pandemic.
EGA said that subsidiary GAC is sponsoring the production of soaps, facemasks, and other protective equipment by local producers in an effort at stimulating the local economy during the outbreak. GAC is also supplying needed items to Guinea’s health authority as well, and the firm is providing education materials aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
The effort is providing temporary jobs for around 450 locals, which, according to estimates, is boosting the economic wellbeing of over 3,000 individuals.
Aissata Beavogui, Director General and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of GAC, said his firm is using experience in responding to past medical crises in the region to provide lessons for its current response.
“The UAE Government is providing assistance to many countries in their fight against COVID-19, including Guinea. As a UAE-owned company and proud corporate citizen of Guinea, we are following this example and extending our support to our host communities during this challenging time not only on a humanitarian basis but most importantly supporting local economies through social entrepreneurship. We unfortunately have previous experience of contributing to the fight against pandemics from the Ebola crisis five years ago, and we are putting what we learned then into action now.”
The vast majority of those temporarily employed are utilized in soap production, as around 400 local women and teenagers have so far produced 25,000 bars. Meanwhile, 20 tailors are engaged by GAC to make facemasks, and the team has made a like number of facemasks to date.
Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Emirates Global Aluminium is an aluminium conglomerate created by the merger between Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) in 2013. EGA had an estimated enterprise value of US$15 billion at the time the merger took place. The firm is owned equally by Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates Global Aluminium holds interests in bauxite/alumina and primary aluminium smelting.