On 13 May 2026, suppliers, company leaders and government representatives gathered at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Conakry for the second edition of the Simandou Supplier Recognition Awards.
From logistics and transport to catering, recruitment, construction and operations, our suppliers are active and essential across the mine, rail and port. Their collective efforts are critical in helping Simandou transition from construction toward operations.
Among the companies recognised was WELHY-CIS, recipient of the Wontanara Prix Award. WELHY-CIS reflects a model used across Simandou: partnerships between Guinean and international companies. Welhy, a Guinean company founded in 2018, partnered with the French services company CIS to form WELHY-CIS and the joint venture was awarded a contract to deliver camp and support services for the SimFer mine site.
This partnership has successfully created opportunities for local employment and skills development. Training has been a key part of that story: several Welhy employees travelled to Marseille to train with CIS before returning to Guinea with new expertise and experience.
Falilou Bah, Managing Partner of Welhy, described the award as a tribute to the people behind the work:
"This award is first and foremost a source of pride and encouragement for our teams. It recognises the work, commitment, and professionalism they demonstrate every day. What makes us proud is not only the results we have achieved, but the progress our people have made through training, mentoring, and experience."
Falilou Bah
Managing Partner, Welhy
The recognition highlights how partnerships between local companies and international operators can strengthen capabilities and create opportunities for growth. Through its partnership with CIS, Welhy has strengthened its capabilities while creating opportunities for employees to gain new skills and experience that can be applied long after the project is complete.
Stories like WELHY-CIS show how Guinean companies are building capability through their work on Simandou, from service delivery to skills development and knowledge transfer.
As Simandou continues its journey toward full-scale production, our legacy will be represented by cross-country infrastructure and an operating mine as well as by the growth of Guinean businesses and the upskilling of all our people. In the story of WELHY-CIS, that legacy is already taking shape.