Ma’aden development

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has announced the beginning of commercial production of the bauxite mine and alumina refinery of its subsidiary Ma’aden Bauxite and Alumina Company.

The Alumina refinery has achieved stable operations and will ramp-up production until reaching its designed production capacity of 1.8 million tonnes of alumina per year by early 2017.

At full production the refinery will fully meet the Ma’aden smelter requirement for 1.4 million tonnes of alumina per year with the surplus production to be sold into regional and international markets.

The impact on earnings of this commercial production will be recognised in the company 2016 fourth quarter financial results.