Alcoa denies the review of its Point Henry smelting operations has anything to do with a new Saudi project.

News Limited is reporting local workers are being offered salaries of more than $3,000 a week, tax-free, plus expenses to help set-up the middle eastern facility.

But Alcoa says just one manager has been moved from Point Henry.

You can read the full statement from Alcoa below:

Ma’aden Alcoa is an aluminium joint venture project, of which Alcoa Inc owns 25.1%.

Alcoa is presenting opportunities for employees from all over the world to help build and commission the new mining, refining, smelting and aluminium rolling facilities in Saudi Arabia.

To date, the overwhelming majority of those employees have been sourced from the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America.  A very small number are from Australia, with 10 from our Western Australia operations and 7 from Victoria (we have around 6000 employees in Australia).

Of the employees from Victoria, one was in a management role, the others were supervisors/group leaders.

There is no “exodus of senior staff” from Alcoa’s Point Henry smelter.  Only one manager has joined the Saudi JV project from Point Henry smelter.

The review of Point Henry smelter has been prompted by current economic conditions, has no connection to the Saudi JV project.

It’s worth noting that when Alcoa’s Australian operations were established in the early 1960s, it was done with the help of overseas expertise, particularly from the United States.  Since then, Australians have helped build and commission refineries and smelters in many other parts of the world.

Opportunities such as these are normal within a global organisation.