PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OffWorld, the global pioneer in AI-powered industrial Swarm Robotic Mining systems and Saudi Arabia's leading mining enterprise — Ma’aden — one of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh to take first steps toward achieving autonomous industrial mining by exploring the potential of utilizing smart robots in Ma’aden’s mines. The promise of these robotic mining swarms will usher in a new era of zero-carbon footprint mining with no people in harm’s way and will revolutionize the processing of the minerals in the mine itself.
Jim Keravala, OffWorld Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder said: “OffWorld is developing the world’s most rugged industrial swarming robots who are able to operate in the frigid cold of the tundra to the scorching heat of the desert. We are excited to be working with such a progressive company as Ma’aden, which is dedicated to building the mines of the future whilst leading the way with action. This generation's obligation to care for our planet's needs whilst striving to provide for humankind calls for bold leadership and a commitment to make positive change on a grand scale. We are honored to take this journey together with Ma’aden.”
Hamad Al-Rashidi, Ma’aden Senior Vice President of Safety, Sustainability & Innovation commented: “The mining industry has been lagging to fully unlock the capabilities of emerging technologies. The world cannot afford for the mining industry to continue to operate legacy mining methods that put humans in harsh operational environments and unnecessarily move millions of tonnes of waste material. Ma’aden intends to lead the way by leveraging technological advancement in robotics and Artificial Intelligence to achieve fully autonomous mining.”
About OffWorld:
OffWorld is a private company that designs, develops, and manufactures AI-powered robotic platforms. It is headquartered in Pasadena, California, and has offices in South Africa, Australia, and Luxembourg. OffWorld was founded in 2016 with the goal of expanding human civilization beyond Earth with the help of thousands of smart robots. It is reinventing the mining, manufacturing, and construction industries by developing a new generation of swarm robotic species that can withstand extreme conditions and work collaboratively in an eco-friendly approach while keeping humans out of harm’s way.
About Ma’aden:
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 aims 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 new minerals – to leverage the Kingdom’s estimated $1.3 trillion mineral endowment.
