Shaping the future of mining in the Middle East – Hexagon

by Savannah Hicks

World societies want extra entry to mined assets like metals and significant minerals than ever earlier than. The transition to renewable power, urbanisation, electrification, and the elevated reliance on mined supplies by the automotive, aerospace and know-how industries, comes at a time when a lot of the world’s main deposits have already been found.

In Saudi Arabia, Ma’aden’s Mansourah-Massarah mine is navigating these challenges through the use of Hexagon’s revolutionary digital applied sciences to construct the Center East’s first digital mine. “The world relies on us,” stated Bob Wilt, CEO, Ma’aden. “That’s the place the know-how from Hexagon is available in.” 

What will we imply by “digital mine”? 

Ma’aden’s operations produce as much as 300,000 ounces of gold per 12 months, with the complete gold manufacturing lifecycle together with drilling, blasting, gathering, dumping, processing, refining and smelting. Ma’aden has partnered with Hexagon to combine digital know-how all through your complete lifecycle, that means that the complete gold manufacturing course of is optimised and enhanced by Hexagon’s options.

So, what’s the affect? Ma’aden not too long ago said that Hexagon’s know-how has helped them obtain: 

• 7% gas effectivity enchancment 

• 2% waste dilution enchancment 

• 4 to eight% discount in working prices 

• 12 to fifteen% discount in manufacturing time 

“We’ve acquired to find new assets sooner, however we’ve acquired to discover ways to course of our decrease grade ore our bodies extra successfully and effectively,” stated Wilt. “We’ve acquired to do it higher and at the next high quality.” 

By digitalising Mansourah-Massarah’s operations, Ma’aden is setting increased security requirements and gold manufacturing speeds that it could actually replicate at its different mines. This profitable partnership has created a blueprint that can guarantee new mines are digitally optimised from day one, rewriting the way forward for the trade for the area. 

Check out this page to learn more and hear directly from Ma’aden executives and employees about how Hexagon is changing the landscape of the mining industry in Saudi Arabia. 

All through 2025 we’ll be running a blog in regards to the challenges going through the mining trade. Drawing upon insights from thought leaders in our buyer neighborhood and from inside Hexagon, we’ll share how trusted partnerships and confirmed know-how are addressing these challenges, serving to to enhance security and reduce prices whereas balancing the calls for of productiveness and sustainability.