Interior view of high-voltage switchgear room undergoing upgrades.

Existing switchgear inside the Jabal Sayid switchroom, upgraded with protection relays, arc flash detection and a new fibre optic power management communications network. Two additional panels are to be added, thereby facilitating the new 13.8kV incoming circuits from the grid.

July 2025

Jabal Sayid underground copper mine: A key player in Saudi Arabia’s mining future

Driving new growth in global copper supply

Copper is essential to everything from electric vehicles to grid-scale renewables.

Yet analysts warn of a supply shortfall as early as 2025.

Driven by electrification, clean energy technologies and new manufacturing needs, copper consumption is forecast to outstrip supply by the end of this decade.

Global analysts such as S&P and the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlight copper as a key pinch point in the clean energy transition.

This growing demand is sparking renewed investment in new copper frontiers, especially in regions with untapped resource potential.

Emerging mining jurisdictions filling the global copper gap

Saudi Arabia is emerging as one of the most promising.

The Kingdom in particular holds more than US$2.5t in untapped mineral wealth, including phosphate, gold, rare earth elements – and copper.

Driven by its Vision 2030 strategy, Saudi Arabia aims to reduce its reliance on oil and fossil fuels.

As part of this shift, mining is becoming a central pillar of the nation’s economic future.

In turn, copper projects are helping turn the Kingdom’s mineral potential into a global supply advantage.

Developing Saudi Arabia’s copper potential

At the heart of this shift is the Jabal Sayid underground copper mine.

Located 350km northeast of Jeddah and 120km southeast of Medina, it is operated by Ma’aden Barrick Copper Company (MBCC), a 50:50 joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden and global gold and copper producer Barrick.

Production began in 2016 and has steadily increased year-on-year.

As a result, the mine exported 65,000t of copper concentrate in 2024 alone.

In addition, the site is supported by well-established infrastructure and processing facilities.

Meanwhile, ongoing exploration drilling in surrounding areas points to strong potential for new deposits.

A strategic mine in a future-focused economy

The Saudi Government is targeting US$100b a year in foreign investment by 2030.

To attract global miners, it introduced supportive initiatives for the mining sector like the Mining Investment Law and the Mining Exploration Enablement Program.

These programs derisk early-stage projects and attract global players to Saudi Arabia’s mining landscape.

Barrick, one of the world’s leading gold and copper miners, is pursuing long-term growth in the Kingdom.

It views Jabal Sayid as a high-margin, long-life asset with strong upside.

High-voltage power factor correction units supplied by Delonix Solutions for the Jabal Sayid grid project.

Delonix is supplying two 5MVAr switched high-voltage power factor correction enclosures to support grid stability at Jabal Sayid. They will be installed indoors on each side of the primary bus coupler providing a maximum correction of 10MVAr for the site.

New grid-connection to support expansion

Jabal Sayid is now entering a new phase.

The underground copper mine will soon be connected to the national power grid through a new 132kV, 35MVA electrical system.

This upgrade replaces the site’s diesel generators and aligns with the Kingdom’s goal to reduce fossil fuel use across heavy industry.

Delonix Solutions led several key aspects of the electrification project, including:

• electrical design and drafting;
• power management system solutions;
• project management of electrical upgrades; and
• electrical engineering product solutions.

The new customised system improves efficiency, enables real-time monitoring, provides resilience and allows room for future expansion of the operation.

Click here to read the full case study on how Delonix Solutions helped enable this transition at one of Saudia Arabia’s most strategic copper assets.

By Kathleen Southway

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