JEDDAH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) (>> Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden)) has awarded a $1.5 billion contract to South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. (>> Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co.) to build an aluminum refinery in the kingdom, a bourse statement said on Sunday.

The refinery, to be constructed in the Eastern Province, will have an annual production capacity of 1.8 million metric tons of smelter-grade alumina and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014, the statement to Saudi Arabia's stock exchange said.

"The contract includes completing detailed engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning assistance, start-up assistance and training services," Maaden added.

In March, the firm agreed a draft deal with Hyundai to build the refinery, part of a multibillion dollar complex in Ras Al Khair that is 74.9-percent owned by Maaden and 25.1 percent by Alcoa Inc (>> Alcoa Inc.).

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif and David French; Editing by Matt Smith)