Saudi Arabia awards Bechtel EPCM contract for gold mine

Maaden has awarded a major EPCM contract to Bechtel for its Ar Rjum gold mine.

This follows Maaden’s Final Investment Decision (FID) in August 2025 as part of its plan to double gold production by 2030.

Under the US$104mn agreement, Bechtel will provide EPCM services for constructing the mine and processing facilities.

The multi-year contract supports the development of Ar Rjum, located in the Makkah Region, roughly 200 km northeast of Ta’if.

The mine is projected to yield 3.6 million ounces of gold over a 12-year life-of-mine period, featuring an open-pit operation and a processing facility handling eight million tons of ore annually.

Bob Wilt, CEO of Maaden, said, “The Ar Rjum Project is a major milestone in Maaden’s journey to strengthen our portfolio. We have ambitious targets for our gold business and Ar Rjum will be a major component of our ability to double production, as well as to grow at pace and continue to build our pipeline of talent to deliver our strategy.”

Ailie MacAdam, president, Bechtel Mining & Metals, added, “In partnership with Maaden and leveraging Bechtel’s global supply chain of more than 7,000 suppliers along with our strong local partnerships, we’re proud to support a project that advances long-term regional growth and prosperity.”