Reko Diq Pledges More Jobs for Local Communities
In response to inaccurate information circulating on local social media about the employees and contractors of Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC), we wish to clarify the facts and set the record straight. The false claims being spread are misleading and do not reflect the reality of Reko Diq’s operations.
We are proud to report that 78% of our current workforce is from Balochistan, with over 50% of those employees hailing from the Chagai district. No major mining project in Balochistan has achieved the level of local employment that RDMC has already reached.
Additionally, RDMC is actively working to nurture local talent by providing essential skills and training to ensure that the communities in and around the Reko Diq project are well-equipped to secure employment—not only with RDMC and its contractors, but also in the broader workforce in the province and the country. For example, in partnership with the Hunar Foundation, RDMC is training hundreds of young Baloch men and women from the Nokkundi area in certified skills such as IT, pipefitting, office assistance, electrical work, carpentry, and masonry. Graduates have been successfully matched with job opportunities at our contractors and RDMC. Since 2023, our International Graduate Program (IGP) has sponsored young Baloch graduates, including those from the Chagai District, to gain work experience at Barrick’s operations abroad, with the expectation that they will return to Reko Diq equipped with necessary skills to fill senior and managerial roles in the future.
The reality is that, due to the lack of a broad industrial sector in Chagai and Balochistan, the local skills base will not always be sufficient to staff every role at what will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced copper-and-gold mines in the world. RDMC is working tirelessly to address these skill shortages so that we can hire more local workers while maintaining the world-class standards required for the project.
During the peak construction phase of the project, it is estimated that up to 7,500 individuals will be engaged. Upon entering production, the project will generate approximately 4,000 long-term jobs for the local community.
For reasons of privacy and safety, we will not comment on specific employees of the company. However, the misinformation and false statements being disseminated could potentially jeopardize the safety of our people and operations. This is completely unacceptable, and the company, which is 50% owned by the governments of Balochistan and Pakistan, will take all available legal action in response to such incidents. Ensuring the safety of our employees will always be our top priority.
RDMC is equally committed to prioritizing local suppliers whenever they can meet the necessary quality and commercial requirements of a world-class mining operation, sometimes with our assistance. Over the past two years (2023 and 2024), RDMC has awarded contracts valued at PKR 2 billion (USD 7.2 million) to suppliers from the Chagai district, and PKR 4.1 billion (USD 14.5 million) to suppliers across Balochistan.
As with employment, the lack of a broad industrial base in Chagai and Balochistan means that we are not always able to source as many goods and services as we would like that meet necessary standards. To address this challenge, we are investing in and ramping up programs to train and upskill local businesses to ensure more procurement opportunities within Chagai, Balochistan, and Pakistan. RDMC’s operator, Barrick, has a proven track record of partnering with and fostering local suppliers worldwide, and we are applying these same principles and experiences at Reko Diq.
The Reko Diq project will have a transformative impact on the region. As outlined here, we remain fully committed to supporting local development through job creation and procurement, even as we insist on maintaining the highest international standards, and we continue to work together with our local communities and partners to build a stronger, more prosperous future for all stakeholders in this exciting project.
