Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced that the Republic of Guinea’s government has wrongfully terminated a basic agreement signed with its subsidiary, Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC).
This decision has led to the implementation of redundancies in the Boké region that will initially impact more than 2,000 employees and contractors.
In June 2024, GAC signed a term sheet with Guinea for the development of an alumina refinery with an initial annual capacity of 1mt.
However, in October 2024, the Guinean government initiated actions that hampered its operations in the country, which included blocking EGA and GAC’s operations, suspending GAC’s bauxite exports and denying access to shared rail infrastructure, leading to the suspension of GAC’s mining operations.
Despite facing significant economic, technical, and environmental hurdles, GAC made substantial efforts to resume operations and advance the development of the alumina refinery.
The government of Guinea reportedly commenced the process to revoke EGA’s mining licence in May 2025.
EGA and GAC are preparing to defend their rights in international tribunals and seek compensation for the losses incurred.
Emirates Global Aluminium CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban stated: “These actions have made the continuation of GAC’s operations and the development of an alumina refinery impossible. The job losses this will cause, and the opportunity loss to the Guinean economy, are deeply regrettable.
“We have maintained GAC’s employee workforce in difficult circumstances for as long as possible. Our focus has been to honour the economic and social commitment to our people, their families and to the Republic of Guinea.”
GAC, a major investor in Guinea's mining sector for more than four decades, has created 3,200 jobs, with Guinean citizens holding 96% of these positions.
The company has generated economic opportunities and substantial revenues for Guinea, including $244m of direct expenditures in 2024 alone.
In May 2025, Guinea's military government cancelled 129 exploration permits as part of a broader strategy to consolidate control over mining resources and attract new investments.
The state-run Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée halted all bauxite deliveries to EGA in the United Arab Emirates. This forced EGA to seek alternative sources for bauxite, disrupting their supply chain.
