#PROJECT:"Ma'aden Mega Project"

[Riyadhi]

Saudi to build port in Ras Al-Zour

Saudi Arabia plans to build a new port in Ras Al-Zour, in Eastern province, for exporting minerals, Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry announced yesterday.

The port will increase the total number of seaports in the Eastern Province to four.

The land-bridge project linking the kingdom’s east with west was progressing well and tenders would be called shortly to carry out the landmark project, he was quoted as saying in an Arab News report. He was speaking after attending the launch of a new ship named Al-Zamil 13 in Dammam.

Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad bin Fahd launched the ship, which was built by Al-Zamil for Maintenance and Operations.

He also gave the green signal to build four more ships.

The minister said the government had allocated SR7 billion for road projects in its 2005 budget and SR8 billion for this year. “We have already invited tenders to implement half of these projects,” he said.

[HiJazzey]

Yeah, this port is an integral part of Maaden's big expansion plans. They need this port, and a railway to the mining area.

[Saudi guy]

these first time i hear Ras Al-Zour!!!!!!

[HiJazzey]

That's because it currently is an uninhabited promontory on the gulf. It's about 75km north of Jubail.

[Riyadhi]

It's near Al Safaniyah oil field if you heard of it.

[Saudi guy]

Al Safaniyah!!! yah i remeber it in secondry school

[Riyadhi]

haha yea, it's the largest off shore oil field in the world..

[empersouf]

Isn't it better to create a railway line to an existing harbour?
Btw, Saudi Arabia needs much more rail lines than it has now. Only two connections from Riyadh to the eastcoast.
Aren't there any plans for a Rail line from Riyadh to Mecca to Jeddah and Mecca to Medina?

[HiJazzey]

Hi Soufian,

I don't know, there must be a good reason. Maybe there isn't the space to put the facilities they want in Jubail, it is a huge project. They were originally planning to use Jubail.

As for railway, there's...
* The landbridge project, which is a freight/passenger line going Jubail-Dammam-Riyadh-Jeddah.
* Mecca Medina rail link (MMRL) project, which is a high speed rail link between Mecca-Jeddah-Medina
* Industrial railway project, a heavy freight line going Ras aZor - Jubail, then shares a section with the landbridge, then Riyadh-Buraida-aZabirah-Hail-alJalamid.

The first two are private sector concessions, with the Landbridge at a more advanced stage, whilst the industrial railway will be built directly by the government.

[HiJazzey]

* Note to mods: please merge the Ras az-Zor thread into this thread *

Okay... this is the project page for Ma'aden's mega-project.

Summary of project:

- New phosphate mines in the Hazm al-Jalamid area near Arar
- New Bauxite mine in the az-Zabirah area near Buraidah
- New port in Ras az-Zowr, specialising in minerals
- New railway, linking the above areas
- Large Aluminium production complex
- Large Fertilizer production complex (world's biggest)
- Large power station and other services

---

News:

Ma'aden awarded Australia's Worley-Parsons a $133 million engineering and management services contract.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060222/3/2g9cb.html

[Riyadhi]

Hey thanks for the summary HiJazzy. But what about the IPO :D?

[HiJazzey]

Update on the project. Ma'aden got the approvals to start work on the Aluminium smelter that's part of the project. The $3.8 billion smelter will be located on Ras az-Zowr, and will have an initial annual capacity of 623,000. Production will start in 2008.

BTW Riyadhi, I believe they are planning to ultimately privatise Ma'aden. I think they want to do it around 2008-09.

[Riyadhi]

I heard about the smelter. I think it is still small for a country like Saudi Arabia. We need to have two or three more. I think it is a shame that a huge country with massive mining reserves stilll import aluminum from Bahrain!