Mining Intelligence and News
Saudi Arabia

Al Ba'itha Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Bauxite
  • Aluminum
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
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SnapshotAl Ba'itha mine is a part of joint venture which consists of bauxite mine from the Al Ba’itha bauxite deposit in the northern part of Saudi Arabia, an alumina refinery, a primary aluminum smelter, and an aluminum rolling mill.

The ore is transported by rail to the processing plant in Ras Al-Khair, which houses the first aluminum refinery in the Persian Gulf with a capacity of 1.8 million tons per year. This refinery supplies raw materials to the Ma’aden Aluminum Company smelter, capable of producing 780,000 tons of primary aluminum annually.

Ma’aden is collaborating with GlassPoint on the development of the Ma’aden Solar 1 project — the world’s largest solar thermal power plant with a capacity of 1,500 MW, which will be used to produce steam required for refining bauxite into aluminum.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Alcoa Corp. 25.1 % Indirect
Maaden Saudi Arabian Mining Co. 74.9 % Indirect
Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC) (operator) 100 % Direct
Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC) was incorporated on 22 January 2011 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is also its principal place of business and is owned:

- 74.9% by Saudi Arabian Mining Company (“Ma’aden”) and;

- 25.1% by AWA Saudi Limited (“AWA”), a foreign shareholder, which is owned 60% by Alcoa Corporation and 40% by Alumina Limited.

On 15 September 2024, Maaden signed an agreement to acquire Alcoa Corporation’s entire 25.1% stake (128,010,000 shares) in Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC).

At completion of the Ma'aden Aluminium Company (MAC) and MBAC Acquisition, Maaden’s percentage ownership in the share capital of both MAC and MBAC will increase from 74.9% to 100% while the percentage of direct and indirect ownership by Alcoa in Maaden will be equal to approximately 2.21%.

On February 4, 2025, the General Authority of Competition (GAC) approved Ma'aden to acquire Alcoa's 25.1 per cent ownership in MAC and MBAC.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Bauxite

Summary:

Bauxite occurs as a paleolaterite profile developed at an angular unconformity between underlying late Triassic to early Cretaceous sediments (parent rock sequence Biyadh Formation) and the overlying late Cretaceous Wasia Formation (overburden sequence).

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Bauxite M dmt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4.84.43.63.62.4
All production numbers are expressed as ore.

Operational metrics

Metrics20242023202220212020201920182017
Annual ore mining capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.8 Mt of alumina1.8 Mt of alumina1.8 Mt of alumina
Annual mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4.6 Mt of bauxite4.6 Mt of bauxite4 Mt of bauxite

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2024202320222021
Revenue M SAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Pre-tax Income M SAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
After-tax Income M SAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Operating Cash Flow M SAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

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