Midana Exploration (Hancock Prospecting) and Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) have formally received five Round 9 exploration licences in the Nabita Ad-Duwayhi gold belt at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh on 14 January 2026, cementing their Saudi joint venture. The licences cover greenfield gold targets in a known mineralised corridor, signalling a pipeline of drilling, resource definition and geometallurgical testwork in the Arabian Shield under Saudi Arabia’s new mining code.

Weba Chute Systems is being brought in by OEMs, EPCM contractors and mine operators to fix process flow bottlenecks arising when new or upgraded screens and crushers are integrated into existing circuits. The company applies custom-engineered transfer chutes, designed around site-specific ore characteristics and throughput, to stabilise material flow, reduce impact and spillage, and limit unplanned stoppages. For plant engineers, the trend signals growing recognition that chute geometry and lining design can be the critical constraint on circuit capacity rather than the primary crusher or screen.

Sandvik Rock Processing is expanding technical support for its crushing and screening solutions across West Africa, covering stationary crushers, screens and feeders as well as mobile crushers and screens. The company is targeting both greenfield and brownfield gold and iron ore operations that rely on high-throughput primary and secondary crushing trains, where uptime and liner wear management are critical. Stronger in-region service and spares availability is likely to reduce lead times for major components and support more aggressive production schedules in remote sites.