Ahmed AbouZied CEO SAUDI CANADIAN MINING SERVICES (SCMS)
How is SCMS organized, and how extensive is its fleet?
Saudi Canadian Mining Services (SCMS) has been active since 1993, pioneering as the first mining and drilling contractor in Saudi Arabia. SCMS is organized into two main divisions. The drilling division handles a variety of drilling services, including grade control, reverse circulation drilling, diamond drilling, and underground exploration. We operate around 26 rigs for different drilling purposes. On the mining side, we maintain a robust fleet of more than 150 machines, ranging from excavators to dump trucks and loaders. Our lineup includes Caterpillar, Komatsu & Sany machinery, specifically dump trucks like Caterpillar’s 777, 745, 770, and 772 models, along with dozers, graders, and other essential equipment.
SCMS has worked across nearly all Ma’aden sites, handling everything from exploration and drilling to blasting, crushing, and earthmoving. We have a long-term contract with Ma’aden to provide our mining services for their aluminum projects in Al Baitha mine.
We have partnered with private players too, including Sofreco, Gold and Minerals and AMAK. Currently, we are managing two major projects, offering our mining services at two of AMAK’s open-pit gold mines near the southern region. What are the reasons that KSA’s mining sector is booming?
Mining has turned into a core economic pillar, and this shift is reshaping the sector. Saudi Arabia is attracting top-tier companies and service providers from all over the world. With its diverse mineral endowment, the country’s vast land has a lot of potential. Each year, you see more investment and a stronger commitment from both local and international players, making Saudi Arabia a really exciting place for mining right now. Is there room for everyone to succeed in KSA’s expanding landscape?
The mining and drilling market in Saudi Arabia has a strong demand for services that outpaces the available supply, creating significant opportunities for new companies to enter.
Mert Karpuz General Manager (Boretech) & CEO (Drilling & Exploration) BORETECH AND DRILLING & EXPLORATION
Can you explain more about Drilling & Exploration and Boretech and how they are related?
Boretech started its drilling operations in Turkey in 2016, and by 2017, we were up and running in Saudi Arabia with Geological Services and Drilling & Exploration (D&E) with three drill rigs. Today, we have grown to 25 rigs operating across the country, having drilled over 300,000 m by 2024. We offer core drilling, directional drilling, RC drilling and underground drilling. On the other hand, Boretech, the contracting company, primarily offers geological consulting services, working with a variety of clients across Saudi Arabia, including Sofreco, Ma’aden, Worley and Ajlan & Bros. Do you manufacture your own rigs, and what makes them different from other companies?
Yes, we have a manufacturing facility in Ankara, Turkey, where we produce our own drill rigs for operations and external clients. D&E exclusively uses drill rigs manufactured in-house at our factory. To minimize downtime, we have established maintenance plants, factories and workshops in Saudi Arabia, enabling rapid service and repairs for our rigs. Can you tell us more about the projects you are currently working on in Saudi Arabia?
We work with Ma’aden on multiple projects, including Mansourah-Massarah, Ar Rjum, and the recently completed Ad Duwayhi project. We are also on Ma’aden’s New Mines Development (NMD) projects. Additionally, we have been involved at Moxico and Ajlan & Bros’ Khnaiguiyah project, providing drilling and geological services, including staffing geologists and technicians for logging and sampling. What can we expect from Boretech and Drilling & Exploration in 2025?
We are focusing on contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, with the goal of playing a key role in the country’s future projects. Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to launch directional drilling services, making us the first company in Saudi Arabia to offer this advanced technology.