Aleris Corporation, a leader in the production of rolled aluminium for critical surface applications, has signed an agency agreement with MJ Building Materials Trading DMCC, based in Dubai, UAE.

As a result of the agreement, the company will exclusively promote Aleris’ 55HX, a premium aluminium for architectural applications in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, said a statement.

The 55HX is a premium material that has been developed to meet the requirements of the architectural space. It can be used for inside and outside applications, including façades, wall cladding, ceilings and roofs, it said.

One of the projects where this material was selected is the façade of the eye-catching Rézo building in Paris, France, due to the following unique properties:

• Flexibility: 55HX can be creatively shaped to adapt to almost any design.

Officials at the signing ceremony

• High surface quality, further improved after anodization to obtain superior UV, scratch and corrosion resistance while keeping its unique metal look.

• Colour uniformity across various batches, which provides consistency in colour and gloss.

Johan Petry, vice president, Aleris Industrial Products, said: “Our 55HX is already a well-known brand in the European advanced architecture market, and it will grow further in the Gulf region thanks to this partnership.”

“By combining MJ Building Materials’ experience in the region and our company’s know-how in architectural applications, we will strengthen our position in the Middle-East,” he said.

Modar Al Mekdad, chairman MJ Building Materials Trading DMCC, said: “Many ambitious high-end projects are currently being developed in our region and we see a lot of potential in the use of aluminium for architectural applications.”

“Therefore, it is obvious for us to collaborate with Aleris, which provides high quality material. In particular, its 55HX meets all essential criteria for construction in the GCC region,” he said.

The 55HX is currently the only plain aluminium that meets the stringent fire requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 285), said a statement.

With an extensive range of innovative aluminium solutions, Aleris has been recently involved in a few major international architectural projects, such as the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, the Grand Egyptian Museum or the new Riyadh bridge (still under construction), it stated.