ZURICH: ABB is looking to tap into a skilled labor shortage in the fast-growing construction sector to help drive the post-pandemic recovery of its robotics business and diversification from the automotive industry, the head of the division said.
The Swiss engineering group’s robotics business has been hit by the downturn in recent years in the auto sector, traditionally its biggest customer, as carmakers suffered falling sales and it quit low-margin businesses.
Construction offers new opportunities, especially with massive infrastructure programs planned to revive the global economy after the coronavirus pandemic.
“The construction industry is facing the perfect storm,” said Sami Atiya, president of Robotics & Discrete Automation at ABB. “There is huge demand for affordable housing and more sustainable solutions, and a shortage of skilled labor.
“We have seen over the last 18 months a huge interest in automation from the construction industry.”
Some 81 percent of companies have said they will start using or increase their use of construction robots in the next 10 years, according to an ABB survey of 1,900 construction firms in Europe, China and the United States.
ABB is working on projects including using robots to install elevators for Switzerland’s Schindler and automating the production of components for prefabricated modular homes.
Its robots are also used at building sites to weld together steel reinforcement baskets to strengthen buildings. ABB competes with Japan’s FANUC and Germany’s Kuka in the global industrial robots market estimated to be worth $45 billion per year.
While ABB Robotics sales in the automotive market are estimated to grow by 3 percent to 5 percent in the coming years, Atiya said he expected them to grow by 20 percent-30 percent per year in the construction industry.
“Construction is where automotive was about 50 years ago in terms of the density of robots and automation,” he said. “It’s coming from a lower base, but it is going to grow much faster.”
Systems — which include robots, peripherals and software — can cost from $100,000 to $1 million. Selling these to construction customers can lead to higher profits for ABB Robotics, Atiya said.
He declined to give a figure for profitability in construction robots, but said margins were “well within” his division’s target range for operational EBITA of 15 percent, up from 11.9 percent in 2019.
“I am absolutely confident that we will perform better than the market. Double-digit sales growth over the next three years is what we are aiming for, and we have had a very good start in 2021.”
He expected a recovery in the Americas and Europe, after orders fell in the first quarter, and the “fantastic growth” in China to continue.
Robot builders to plug construction skills shortage for ABB
https://arab.news/wm2n9
Robot builders to plug construction skills shortage for ABB
- ABB is working on projects including using robots to install elevators for Switzerland’s Schindler
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.
