Riyadh Cables Group eyes business in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is looking to encourage more foreign investment. (AFP)
Updated 19 October 2019
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Riyadh Cables Group eyes business in Bangladesh

  • RCGC exports its electricity cables worldwide and the company is the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world

DHAKA: Riyadh Cables Group Company (RCGC), a Saudi cable producer, has expressed interest in expanding its corporate footprint in Bangladesh. A high-powered RCGC delegation completed a 6-day visit to Bangladesh on Thursday.

RCGC exports its electricity cables worldwide and the company is the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world.

The visiting delegation comprising Engineer Moaaz Ali Younes, business development manager at RCGC, and Bassam Maes, the marketing director, visited different government agencies in Dhaka with a view to exploring investment opportunities.

During their meeting with officials of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) on Wednesday, the RCGC delegation expressed potential interest in investing in the overhead electricity cable producing sector of the country.

“We had a successful discussion with the RCGC, although it is still at a primary level. We have briefed them about all the benefits for the foreign investors ensured by the Bangladesh government,” director of BIDA Mohammad Ariful Hoque told Arab News.

Hoque said that after returning to Saudi Arabia the RCGC will move forward with the investment proposal and submit the final idea to the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia.

“Most probably, it is going to be a joint venture form of investment with the state-owned Eastern Cable Company. If everything goes well, we hope the investment will start coming into Bangladesh by next year,” Hoque said.

“The amount of investment from RCGC is yet to be finalized. However, we can expect it will be around $30 million,” another source from BIDA said, requesting not to be named.

Bangladeshi economists said they welcomed the investment proposal from RCGC, stating it will work as a “confidence builder” and create a “signaling value” among other foreign investors.

Zahid Hussain, former lead economist of the World Bank in Dhaka, said that Bangladesh’s economy was expanding at a very fast rate and there was a huge internal demand for overhead cables for building new transmission and distribution lines.

“This new investment will help the country in rebuilding the image crisis in terms of FDI (foreign direct investment). We are still not doing very well in attracting FDI. If this sort of foreign investment starts coming here, it will definitely boost the economy at a significant level,” Hussain said.


Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

Updated 05 March 2026
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Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

RIYADH: Saudi mining and metals company Maaden has reported a 156 percent jump in its net profit attributable to shareholders for 2025, driven by higher commodity prices, record production volumes, and a one-off bargain purchase gain.

The state-backed giant posted a net profit of SR7.35 billion ($1.95 billion) for the full year 2025, an increase from SR2.87 billion in the previous year. The firm’s revenue surged by 19 percent to SR38.58 billion, up from SR32.55 billion in 2024.

This comes as Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to expand its mining sector as a pillar of economic diversification, encouraging international participation and private investment to unlock the Kingdom’s estimated $2.5 trillion in untapped mineral resources under Vision 2030.    

In a statement on Tadawul, the company said: “Performance was led by record phosphate production, near record aluminum production, an increase in all three of Maaden’s main output commodity prices.”

The performance was also fueled by a 60 percent increase in gross profit, which reached SR14.79 billion. In its annual results announcement, Maaden attributed the top-line growth to “higher commodity market prices for phosphate, aluminum and gold business units,” as well as increased sales volumes in its phosphate and aluminum segments. This was partially offset by slightly lower sales volume in the gold unit.

Maaden’s CEO, Bob Wilt, hailed 2025 as a transformative year for the company, marked by strategic growth and operational excellence. “This was a great year for Maaden’s strategic growth. We delivered strong financial results and sustained operational excellence across the business,” he said in a statement.

“This was driven by growth in production across all businesses, including record-breaking DAP (di-ammonium phosphatevolumes), disciplined cost control across and a clear commitment to our role as a cornerstone of the Saudi economy,” Wilt added.

Profitability was further bolstered by an increased share of net profit from joint ventures and an associate. This included a one-off bargain purchase gain of SR768 million related to Maaden’s investment in Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. The company also benefited from lower finance costs.

The fourth quarter of 2025 was strong, with Maaden swinging to a net profit of SR1.67 billion, compared to a loss of SR106 million in the same period of the prior year. Quarterly revenue rose 7 percent to SR10.64 billion.

The firm achieved record production of di-ammonium phosphate, reaching 6.72 million tonnes for the year, a 9 percent increase. Aluminum production remained near-record levels, while the company added a net 7.8 million ounces to its reportable gold mineral resources through discovery and resource development.

The phosphate division saw sales jump 17 percent to SR20.77 billion, with the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin expanding to 47 percent. The aluminum business reported a 9 percent increase in sales to SR10.99 billion, with EBITDA more than doubling in the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, Wilt emphasized that the pace of growth will accelerate as the company advances key initiatives, including the Phosphate 3 Phase 1 and Ar Rjum projects, which remain on budget and schedule. Maaden has also secured a gas supply for its future Phosphate 4 project.

“This pace of growth will only accelerate. Not only as we advance projects and increase the scale of our exploration program, but as we continue to grow production and implement technology that will further modernize, streamline and unlock value,” Wilt added.

Earnings per share for the year rose sharply to SR1.91, up from SR0.78 in 2024. Total shareholders’ equity increased by 18.7 percent to SR61.59 billion.