Major Mining Industries Company (AMAC), a leading mining company in Saudi Arabia, announced a strategic move to temporarily halt base metal processing operations for zinc and copper concentrates at its main plant. The shutdown, which is expected to last approximately 16 weeks, is scheduled to begin on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Background on the company and its importance in the Saudi mining sector
Amac is a key player in the Saudi mining industry, focusing on the extraction and processing of base and precious metals from its Al Masane mine in the Najran region of southern Saudi Arabia. The company's activities are central to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the Kingdom's economic base and reduce its reliance on oil by developing promising sectors such as mining to become the third pillar of national industry, after oil and petrochemicals.
Details of the planned suspension and its strategic objectives
In an official statement published on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), the company clarified that this temporary suspension aligns with its approved 2026 business plan. The primary objective of this step is not to reduce production, but rather to enhance operational efficiency and optimize the long-term utilization of the ore extracted from the Sadah, Al-Hawrah, and Ma'eedh reservoirs. These reservoirs collectively form the underground mining complex that supplies the plant with base and precious metals. This planned shutdown will allow the company to carry out essential maintenance and development work to enhance future production capacity and ensure its sustainability.
Continuity of operations in other departments
AMAC emphasized that this shutdown is limited to the zinc and copper processing circuit. Operations in other departments will continue at full capacity. These departments include the precious metals processing circuit (gold and silver), the base metals processing plant at the Ma’ayid site, and the precious metals processing plant at the Qiyan site. This distinction demonstrates the company’s flexibility and ability to manage its operations independently to minimize the overall impact of the shutdown.
Expected financial impact and global context
Financially, the ultimate impact of this suspension will depend on two key factors: the actual duration of the suspension and the average global selling prices of zinc and copper during that period. This impact is expected to be directly reflected in the company's financial results for the first and second quarters of 2026. This comes at a time when the world is witnessing increasing global demand for copper as a key component in the transition to clean energy and electric vehicles, while zinc remains a vital metal for protecting steel from corrosion in global infrastructure projects. Consequently, any change in the supply of these metals, even if temporary and planned, is closely monitored by international market observers.
