Gold Processing Plant Collaboration for Ar-Rjum Mine

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) has contracted Metso to supply a complete gold processing plant for the Ar Rjum mine in the Makkah Region of Saudi Arabia, approximately 200 kilometers northeast of Ta’if. The contract is valued at about EUR 128 million, with a portion already recorded in Metso’s Minerals segment order intake for 2025 and the remainder recognized later in the year. Advisory services for equipment installation, commissioning, and start-up will be provided under a separate services agreement to be booked subsequently.

Scope and Technology of the Gold Processing Plant
Metso’s delivery covers the full processing chain from ore to doré. The installation includes a crushing station and associated conveying systems, followed by a grinding circuit that incorporates a SAG mill and ball mills with auxiliary equipment. Downstream processing comprises a pre-leaching and carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit, final tailings thickeners, and a gravity separation circuit. Supporting systems include an elution plant and gold room technologies. Metso will also supply process electrification, field instrumentation, automation systems, and detailed engineering for the facility.

The integrated nature of the solution is designed to optimize throughput and recovery while maintaining operational control across multiple stages of mineral processing. This full-scope offering differentiates the contract from more limited equipment supply arrangements by aligning critical process technologies under a single solution provider.

Relevance of End-to-End Solutions in Gold Processing
End-to-end plant deliveries such as this represent a competitive approach in gold processing, wherein the provider integrates crushing, grinding, leaching, separation, and recovery technologies into a unified flowsheet. This contrasts with fragmented contracts where different suppliers deliver discrete equipment packages. By standardizing plant design and controls, end-to-end solutions can improve consistency in metallurgical performance, facilitate automation and instrumentation integration, and streamline commissioning and start-up. Effective integration can also support energy and water efficiency, which are increasingly important in modern mineral processing operations.

Strategic Context and Market Positioning
Maaden’s selection of this comprehensive processing package underscores the company’s objective to scale up gold production capacity within Saudi Arabia and to align project execution with Vision 2030 goals for economic diversification and mining sector expansion. The Ar Rjum mine forms part of Maaden’s broader strategy to enhance its gold portfolio, alongside other major developments in the region. Metso’s established presence in the Middle East and capabilities in designing and executing processing facilities contributed to its competitive position for this contract.

Engineering, Procurement, and Services Integration
The contract’s engineering scope goes beyond equipment delivery by including detailed engineering services with associated process electrification and automation. This integration is intended to help optimize plant performance and reliability. Advisory services related to installation and commissioning, while under a separate agreement, indicate a lifecycle approach to project delivery that extends into the early operational phase.

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