Nasier al Saadi CEO Saudi Arabia INNOMOTICS

How important is the mining industry in Saudi Arabia to Innomotics’ activities?

The mining industry in KSA is one of the most important sectors for Innomotics globally, given its vast mineral wealth and the government's initiative to expand the sector. What kinds of solutions does Innomotics provide to support mining operations?

Innomotics produces high-efficiency motors and drives, which are used widely in the global mining industry. We also develop innovative solutions, which apply digitalization, automation and electrification. These cover the whole mining process from the extraction to transport and processing and export abroad. We have been innovators in that sector throughout our history. For example, we installed the first electrical mine winder and the first gearless drive for mining operations. More recently we have also developed digital solutions such as the Process Twin. This is a virtual simulation of the real-life mining processes that allows operators to spot any bottlenecks and tests out any new configuration without impacting the productivity. Could you share a case study or an example of how your services have added value to a mining operation?

The global mining industry as such has lagged behind other sectors in terms of adoption of new technologies, such as automation and digitalization. But we see that rapidly changing now. Many leading mining companies are adopting the latest technology, such as autonomous trucks, remote control of operations and big data to ensure that efficiency is always at the highest level. From that perspective, Innomotics can help mining companies develop these kinds of mines. For example, we did that for Anglo American’s new Quellaveco copper mine in Peru.

Our technologies can also help mining companies overcome other challenges such as shortage of trained manpower because, at the end of the day, automation means that less workers are required to work in the mine itself. In the mines of the future, we think that workers will be working from the comfort of their home on the operation side rather than in the middle of the desert or in the middle of nowhere. This is making it more attractive for young generations and young people to work in the mining industry. A big part of Vision 2030 is technology adoption. Do you think the mining industry in Saudi Arabia is ready for this transformation?

Absolutely. One aspect that is very important is the Saudi government's focus on diversifying the economy. They do not want to depend only on oil and gas and this sort of diversifying leads to increased investment in the mining sector. This offers growth opportunities for advanced technologies like the ones we provide.

Evolving regulations around environmental standards are also present. There is a direct impact from our side, as a technology leader, with the growing demand for sustainability and energy efficient solutions. This aligns with our strengths. Many industries face barriers to adopting new technologies, such as costs or unfamiliarity with the benefits. How does Innomotics address these challenges?

The biggest opportunity lies in digitalization, predictive maintenance and automation, areas where Innomotics can really drive transformative changes. We believe our strong partnership with local and international players enable us to provide tailored solutions that address those specific challenges in the Saudi mining sector. Where do you see room for growth for Innomotics in the Saudi mining sector?

Our main goal is to be the leading provider for motors and drives in the Saudi mining sector and supplying solutions that use digitalization and automation, and help customers make their operations more productive and sustainable. I am very optimistic from that perspective, because there is a need, there is a market and there is our technology. So we try to blend all that together towards those goals.

From Innomotics’ perspective, what do you think the future of mining will look like?

There is a big trend towards digitalization, towards automation and that sort of sustainable technology. Those are the things that we will try to promote in the coming years. At the end of the day, our high-efficiency motors and drives will optimize energy consumption and this will also contribute to lowering the carbon footprint. So those are the main trends we see in the future.