Minelab MEA General Trading LLC, the leading provider of metal detecting technology in the Middle East and Africa region, will cooperate with SK Mining Equipment PLC, the Ethiopian subsidiary of Dubai-based mining equipment supplier, Al Bayati General Trading LLC, to produce their GPX Series and X-TERRA gold detectors in Ethiopia.
Minelab MEA will supply components and manufacturing expertise for their market leading GPX 4500, GPX 5000 and X-TERRA 705 gold detectors to SK Mining Equipment, who will facilitate production in Addis Ababa.
According to a recent World Bank Group partner study, gold is the most prominent mining export in Ethiopia at close to 100% of the country’s output, with approximately 2/3 coming from artisanal mining. The Ethiopian government are actively promoting the adoption of advanced, environmentally sustainable techniques and equipment to increase gold production in the country.
Peter Charlesworth, President and CEO of Minelab, said, “We are excited about this project and the opportunity to partner with one of our most important customers, Al Bayati. They are innovators in the field, and we are delighted to be able to support their initiative. This fits in with Minelab’s corporate philosophy of building miners’ capability while benefiting their communities and protecting the environment.”
“The current Ethiopia market presents great opportunities for Minelab and Al Bayati. There are over 450,000 artisanal miners in Ethiopia, and we look forward to supporting the country’s vision for more sustainable artisanal mining, while building manufacturing capabilities in the country,” he continued.
Sadeq N. Thahab, General Manager of SK Mining Equipment, said, “we are committed to helping the Ethiopian Government to develop the country’s artisanal mining industry. Minelab gold detectors are the best in the world and, by producing them in Ethiopia we can open a huge market and make a contribution to building Ethiopia’s prosperity.”
Minelab MEA and SK Mining Equipment will participate in the Ethiopia International Mining Conference and Exhibition in Addis Ababa on 24th and 25th September, where they will jointly launch the project.
