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Contributor: PR Newswire Europe
Thursday, January 12 2023 - 02:27
AsiaNet
Ma'aden announces strategic partnership with Ivanhoe Electric Inc. (IE) to acquire a 9.9% interest in IE and form a joint venture to explore strategic minerals in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) announces that it has entered into an 
agreement with Ivanhoe Electric (IE) that will see Ma'aden subscribing to new 
shares in IE resulting in a 9.9% equity interest for USD126 million. As part of 
the agreement, Ma'aden and IE will also establish a 50:50 joint venture to 
explore copper, gold, nickel and silver in Saudi Arabia. This is a significant 
investment for Ma'aden giving it strategic presence in a leading international 
mining company with its own proprietary technology and increasing its 
international exposure to critical minerals.

The Heads of Terms was signed today at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, 
Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2023.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc. (IE) is a NYSE-listed mineral exploration and development 
company in the United States that combines advanced mineral exploration 
technologies, renewable energy storage solutions and electric metals projects.

Under the transaction terms, Ma'aden will obtain the right to appoint one 
independent director to the Ivanhoe Electric Board of Directors and will be 
issued with approximately 10.2 million new common shares in IE at a price of 
US$12.38 per share.

The joint venture between Ma'aden and Ivanhoe will explore approximately 48,500 
km2 of selected licenses areas that demonstrate excellent potential. IE will 
commit approximately USD66 million from funds raised through the share 
subscription to the joint venture to fund the purchase of three new generation 
Typhoon(TM) machines and the exploration of prospective lands to be provided by 
Ma'aden for metallic minerals within the Kingdom.

Through the joint venture, Ma'aden will obtain royalty free access to IE's 
proprietary Typhoon(TM) technology, which conducts geophysical surveys using 
high powered transmitters to detect the presence of sulfide minerals containing 
copper, nickel, gold and silver. This will help accelerate, de-risk and advance 
Ma'aden's exploration lands being made available to the joint venture, thereby 
enabling Ma'aden to realize value from its exploration assets.

Robert Wilt, CEO of Ma'aden, commented: "Ma'aden's strategic investment in 
Ivanhoe Electric is a critically important moment in our journey to become a 
leading supplier of strategic minerals, which will fuel global economic growth 
over the coming decade. Through Ma'aden, Saudi Arabia is making an invaluable 
contribution to fast-developing new industries across the world characterized 
by technological advancement."

Robert Friedland, Ivanhoe Electric's Executive Chairman commented: "We are 
proud to partner with Ma'aden and the amazing young motivated women and men of 
Saudi Arabia on this journey to explore the significant mineral wealth of the 
Kingdom, especially with the blessings our collaboration may bring to realizing 
Vision 2030."

Ma'aden is advised in this transaction by M. Klein and Company.

About Ma'aden, The Saudi Arabian Mining Company

Ma'aden is the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle 
East and among the fastest-growing mining companies in the world, with revenues 
of SAR 26.7 billion ($7.12 billion) in 2021. The company is developing the 
mining industry into the third pillar of Saudi economy in line with Vision 2030 
and aiming to be a role model in responsible and sustainable operations.

Ma'aden operates 17 mines and sites, has 6,000+ direct employees and exports 
products to over 30 countries. It is embarking on massive growth over the next 
18 years across its phosphate, aluminum, gold, copper and precious minerals – 
to leverage the Kingdom's estimated $1.3 trillion mineral endowment.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981351/Maaden_Logo.jpg

SOURCE: Ma'aden
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