Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminium smelter, has appointed Ali Al Baqali, a Bahraini national, as its acting chief executive officer (CEO).

Al Baqali has been a part of the Alba family for more than two decades and brings years of leadership and honed experience from within the company, said a statement from Alba. His prior roles included chief financial officer since 2013, and deputy CEO and chief supply chain officer since 2017.

In his executive management roles, Al Baqali has been instrumental in the fast-paced progress of Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project, especially in securing the $3 billion financing for the project and formulating sourcing strategies for key raw materials.

Since his new appointment, Al Baqali has been holding one-on-one sessions with various departments within the company to foster alignment and re-emphasise Alba’s ongoing commitment to safe best practices, it added.

During these sessions, Al Baqali stated: “Our company’s strength lies in its safety culture, development of human capital and community development.”