Ma’aden did not simply "survive" in 2020, it thrived. We continued to grow, to invest and to innovate, just as we have done since our foundation in 1997. Production increased in phosphates, gold and aluminium. Sales across all affiliates and businesses remained strong. Changes were made to our operating model which will drive future efficiencies, keep staff safe, and deliver sustainable growth for the company, and value for shareholders.
What 2020 demonstrated is that Ma’aden is a robust and resilient company, able to deliver to customers, stakeholders and shareholders, even in the toughest of circumstances.
Our ability to continue to deliver helped other businesses do the same. Products made from the materials we produce impact on the daily lives of millions of people around the world - be they farmers in Africa, carmakers in the United Kingdom, or aerospace workers in America.
Our products touch lives globally. Ma’aden produces the raw materials that drive the engine of the world and enhance the lives of the people in it. We never forget our customers, - our focus is always on understanding and responding to their changing needs.
Key to our continued success is our skilled and dedicated team of 5,837 colleagues. They are the people who make all of this possible.
Keeping them safe remains Ma’aden’s primary responsibility. That is why, in 2020, we have been driving up safety and rolling out new company-wide standards for Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS). We have also launched a new rewards structure and established a web and app based portal which all employees are now accessing to support their development.
We are also proud of the progress we have made towards our ambition of being a global leader when it comes to sustainable practice in the mining industry.
Across the organization we have launched a new Sustainable Development Framework which is now embedded into the business plans of all affiliates. In all parts of the business we see inspirational examples of work which shows how Ma'aden, as a business, can act in harmony with the environment, ensuring that we will be able to meet the needs of tomorrow, as well as today.
Above all, 2020 was a year when Ma’aden’s resilience shone through.
Of course, COVID-19 impacted upon some of the markets that we operate in. It affected the demand from customers for some of our products. It affected our logistics. It created new challenges about how we could work safely together as a single team.
Ma'aden Gold Mine - Al Amar
Our aims, aspirations, and values are the same now as they were before the pandemic. They remain about putting our customers at the centre of all that we do, about viewing sustainable practices as critical to the industry’s future success, and about using our spending power to support the development of local economies. This has enabled not just the continuation of all operations, but growth – with new product lines, new customers, new markets, and new investment.
This provides a solid foundation for Ma’aden as we move forward. Our Ma’aden Transformation Program, launched in 2020, is a major step towards this goal – bringing our ICT systems and processes together across all of our affiliates, driving better coordination and delivering greater efficiencies. This Program will continue to drive consistency of systems and practices across our business, our exploration team will continue to seek out new opportunities for growth, and our marketing and sales teams will continue to find new markets and new customers.
Ma’aden will keep moving forward. We know that the world relies on us to do the job we do. We will act in a way which is worthy of the trust which comes with that responsibility.
