Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, has announced ambitious plans to construct a state-of-the-art $4 billion aluminium smelter in Oklahoma. The project was unveiled on May 16, 2025.

The proposed facility, to be located at the Tulsa Port of Inola, is projected to have an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium. This massive output would nearly double the current primary aluminium production within the United States, a nation that currently relies on imports for approximately 85% of its aluminium needs across crucial sectors like automotive, aviation, and construction.

The selection of the Oklahoma site is contingent upon the successful finalization of a competitive long-term power supply agreement with the Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), as well as securing favorable state and local investment incentives and tax credit arrangements. EGA has already demonstrated its commitment to the location by signing an exclusive land option agreement within the industrial park at the Tulsa Port of Inola.

The Tulsa Port of Inola offers strategic logistical advantages, situated on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (M-KARNS). This vital waterway connects to the Mississippi River system, providing efficient bulk freight movement for raw materials and finished products.

The project is anticipated to generate substantial employment opportunities. During the construction phase, it is expected to create up to 4,000 local construction jobs at its peak. Once operational, the aluminium facility is projected to provide up to 1,000 direct, permanent local jobs on-site.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, emphasized the importance of the US market for EGA. “The United States has been an important market for EGA for several decades, and we know there is strong demand for our high-quality metal ‘made in America’,” he stated. “EGA has the skills, technology and capital to start rebuilding this great American industry, and in Oklahoma I am confident we will secure the right conditions to do so. This is an important moment for EGA, and for the economic relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.”

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt lauded the project as a significant win for the state’s economy. “We want more goods to be manufactured in Oklahoma and EGA is the perfect partner,” Governor Stitt commented. “My administration has worked closely with the company for over a year to clear the way for the first new primary aluminium production plant in the United States for more than four decades right here in our great state. EGA’s new plant will be the heart of a broader hub for strategic industry in Oklahoma, creating jobs and opportunity for Oklahomans as well as enhancing economic resilience and national security for all Americans.”