Wa'ad Al Shamal is a great example of Ma'aden's success in working closely with partners to build a world-class industrial city. The new industrial city was inaugurated by Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on 22 November, 2018.
A gateway to the mineral riches of the north, the mining city rose from the desert thanks to the close collaboration of partners from the private and public sectors, from home and abroad. Wa'ad Al Shamal means 'northern promise' and the project was conceived as part of a national plan to develop the economically backward region.
Ma'aden was entrusted with the responsibility of developing the first phase of the city, including the basic infrastructure, residential quarters and the phosphate industrial complex at the heart of the development. We worked in close cooperation with the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources and its key partners in the project, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Railway Company (SAR), the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON) and the National Water Company (NWC).
We created a 440km2 model industrial city designed to the highest international standards, incorporating state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure to sustainably tap the great mineral wealth of the region. Wa'ad Al Shamal is already an icon of sustainable economic and social development that is delivering a wide range of benefits to the people living in the region, from new jobs to business opportunities.
Ma’aden has invested a total of SAR30 billion in Wa’ad Al Shamal. The Ma’aden Wa’ad Al Shamal Phosphate Company (MWSPC) is the centerpiece of the new city. MWSPC consists of a phosphate mine, beneficiation, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, power and downstream plants located in Umm Wu’al and the ammonia and DAP/MAP/NPK plants in Ras Al Khair.
In building the city and our facilities, we aimed high in delivering local development and community support programs. We made local content a basic element in awarding our projects and across our supply chain -- by stipulating a minimum level for local hiring, local spend and investing in community development programmes. We continue to support local businesses with safety training, proposal preparation and other needs as part of our supplier development initiatives.
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 projects mining as a key sector for the further diversification and development of the Saudi economy. Wa'ad Al Shamal is an icon of sustainable development fully aligned with the goals of Vision 2030 and an inspiring example of how effective partnerships can deliver great results for an industry, a community and a nation.