Saudi Arabia’s mining sector is set for a revolutionary transformation with the growing adoption of advanced technologies like cloud computing, according to a senior executive from Ma’aden. In an interview with Arab News during the Oracle CloudWorld Tour Riyadh event, Abdullah Al-Osaimi, senior vice president of procurement and business support at Ma’aden, highlighted the pivotal role that cloud technology will play in the future of mining operations.
Al-Osaimi emphasized the significance of cloud technology, stating, “I think the nature of mining is one of the industries that is going to be heavily dependent on Cloud.” The challenge of exploring remote areas for mineral resources, which often lack infrastructure and population, makes cloud solutions indispensable for efficient exploration and operations.
“Operating in such environments without a cloud strategy would be extremely difficult,” he said. “Cloud solutions, along with mobility and edge computing, are crucial for faster, more accurate exploration and production results.”
With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 focusing on mining as a key economic driver, Ma’aden is embracing cutting-edge technologies to support its ambitious growth goals. “We are planning to grow tenfold by 2040. Very few companies in the world have such an aggressive growth strategy,” Al-Osaimi remarked. To achieve these goals, the company is prioritizing scalability, cost-effectiveness, and operational efficiency through advanced cloud-based solutions.
Saudi Arabia’s commitment to integrating innovative technologies is evident, with Al-Osaimi stating that the Kingdom is not only adopting but also testing new global technologies. “We are pushing so hard in every single technology. We are even testing technologies that are very new in the world,” he said, emphasizing the country’s drive to localize and grow these technologies.
Cloud technology allows mining companies to process vast amounts of exploration data in real time, significantly reducing the time it typically takes—around 15 years—to move from exploration to full production. “Our goal is to reduce that to at least half by adopting new technologies,” Al-Osaimi stated, highlighting artificial intelligence (AI) as a key tool in enhancing productivity and accuracy.
The adoption of these technologies also extends to improving data quality and upskilling employees, according to Al-Osaimi. Meanwhile, Reham Al-Musa, managing director and country leader for Oracle Saudi Arabia, discussed Oracle’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s digital economy. She noted Oracle’s $1.5 billion investment to expand cloud capacity in the Kingdom, including the opening of multiple data centers in Jeddah, NEOM, and Riyadh.
Al-Musa also highlighted the strategic importance of AI and cloud solutions in the country’s ambition to become a hub for artificial intelligence. Oracle has been instrumental in providing technology that integrates generative AI and cloud capabilities, even offering sovereign cloud services in collaboration with Saudi Telecom Co. to address security concerns in regulated industries.
In celebration of Oracle’s 30 years of supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, the company hosted the annual CloudWorld Tour in Riyadh for the first time. This event underscored Oracle’s dedication to empowering Saudi organizations with advanced cloud and AI solutions, including the announcement that the Al-Madinah Development Authority has successfully implemented Oracle Fusion cloud applications.
