What is Tomarok's presence, and what are some of its partnerships?

Tomarok Engineering has its HQ in Istanbul, where we manage our main office, engineering operations, and project oversight. We also have offices in Evora, Portugal, and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The Evora office mainly handles European projects and conducts research and development with the University of Algarve. Our Saudi office is a recent addition, where we are heavily investing in the growing Saudi market.

Tomarok specializes in engineering, electrical instrumentation, automation services and maintenance. We work closely with international partners like ABB, Yokogawa, Siemens, Arenal and Sensoteq reselling their products for automation, instrumentation and electrical needs. Additionally, we have recently opened a cabinet manufacturing workshop for electrical automation cabinets in Turkey. What was the rationale behind opening a new branch in Al Khobar?

We saw the significant push by Saudi Arabia toward expanding its mining sector and diversifying its economy as part of Vision 2030. In this context, we secured a significant project in late 2019: the Mansourah-Massarah gold mine project plant in the Taif region. We partnered with Metso for this and were actively involved when the project transitioned from its CapEx phase to its OpEx phase in 2024.

Being on-site for those years offered valuable insights and connections, such as working closely with Ma'aden. Witnessing firsthand the rise of investments and meeting key industry players emphasized the potential of the Saudi market. This experience opened doors and secured an extension of the maintenance contract through Metso for two additional years, keeping our team engaged at Mansourah-Massarah's gold plant. Can you speak of other projects under your radar and Tomarok’s involvement in EVM’s lithium plant?

One of the projects on our radar is Ma'aden's Phosphate 3 project, which is the industry's ‘jackpot’ due to its value and scale. While major construction packages worth billions have already been awarded to key players, we have finalized our registration with vendor databases for companies like Ma'aden, SABIC and Aramco. Completing them would allow us to work as a sub-vendor for construction companies or EPCs. Another promising project is the Ar-Rjum gold plant near Mansourah-Massarah, now in the engineering phase with Bechtel.

Additionally, we are part of a project led by the Australian EV Metals Group, which is developing a lithium cathode active material plant in Yanbu. Our role goes beyond just investment; we are planning to contribute with engineering expertise and on-site support, positioning ourselves as a key partner in this initiative aimed at advancing battery materials production, and that aligns with our broader vision for Saudi Arabia, where we are exploring new projects. What is Tomarok's geographical expansion strategy?

We were a small team of five or six people a few years ago. Today, we operate globally with around 45 to 50 employees, managing multiple projects simultaneously. One of our key strengths is the diversity of our workforce, which includes professionals from India, Lebanon, Namibia, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This cultural and professional variety enriches our team and enhances our ability to approach challenges with a global perspective, ensuring innovation and adaptability across projects.

This growth reflects our ambitions. We have already established a presence in Europe and recently opened a wholly foreign-owned office in Saudi Arabia, which, while costly, strengthens our foothold in the Middle East. Our sights are now set on Africa, where I have personal connections and firsthand experience from living there for five years. Markets like Zimbabwe and Zambia, attracting substantial mining investments, are the main targets for 2025, so we plan to establish a local office to drive business development. Beyond Africa, South America, India and parts of Asia are on our radar, each presenting unique opportunities in mining.