Construction has started on a copper rods manufacturing plant in Yanbu designed to support Saudi Arabia’s power and electrical infrastructure supply chains.

The project was announced at the Future Minerals Forum, organised by the Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources, with the participation of the National Industrial Development Centre.

The facility is being developed through Majd Yanbu, a joint venture of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and Saudi Arabia’s Alfanar Group.

The project represents an investment of SR550m ($147m) and will be built on a site spanning 30,000 square metres. It will have a planned production capacity of 130,000 tonnes a year.

Copper rods are a core raw material used in the manufacture of electrical cables, wires and conductors.

These components are critical for power generation plants, transmission and distribution networks, substations and renewable energy projects.

By producing copper rods locally, the Yanbu plant is expected to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen domestic supply chains serving the power and utilities sectors.

The project forms part of Saudi Arabia’s wider industrial localisation strategy and aims to support the growth of the kingdom’s manufacturing base under Vision 2030.

READ THE JANUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

Saudi Arabia courts real estate investment; EVs and battery production are key regional tech themes; Muscat holds a steady growth course despite headwinds

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the January 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes: