Alcoa Update to Smelter Ramp-up at Ma’aden-Alcoa Joint Venture

Alcoa Press Release:

October 16, 2013
Alcoa Update to Smelter Ramp-up at Ma’aden-Alcoa Joint Venture
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alcoa (NYSE: AA) today announced that the smelter at the Ma’aden-Alcoa joint venture, which remains in initial start-up phase, has halted production on one of two potlines.

The temporary shutdown was undertaken after a period of pot instability. The joint venture is actively working to restore the potline, and it is expected to be completed and back online between the first and second quarter of 2014.

The ramp-up of the second potline was ongoing and will now be accelerated.

There is not expected to be any impact to Alcoa’s customers.

There is no impact to any other part of the joint venture project, including the mine, refinery and rolling mill, which all remain on schedule.

For more information on the Ma’aden-Alcoa joint venture project visit: http://www.alcoa.com/saudi_arabia.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics, and industrial markets over the past 125 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 30 countries across the world. For more information, visitwww.alcoa.com, follow @Alcoa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoaand follow Alcoa on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Alcoa.

About the Ma’aden Alcoa joint venture

In its initial phases, the joint venture will develop a fully integrated industrial complex which will become the world's preeminent and lowest-cost producer of primary aluminum, alumina and aluminum products, with access to the growing markets of the Middle East and beyond. The complex comprises:

• A bauxite mine with an initial capacity of 4,000,000 metric tons per year
• An alumina refinery with an initial capacity of 1,800,000 metric tons per year
• An aluminum smelter with an initial capacity of 740,000 metric tons per year
• A rolling mill with initial capacity of 380,000 metric tonnes per year.

It will be the first in the Middle East capable of producing food grade can sheet, as well as sheet for automotive, building and construction applications. Upon completion, the mill will be one of the most technically-advanced mills in the world.