Equinox Minerals Ltd (ASX:EQN) says it has successfully completed its $1.25 billion friendly takeover of Citadel Resource Group Ltd (ASX:CGG), which owns a copper mine in Saudi Arabia.

The copper miner announced today its takeover offer for Citadel closed at 5:00 p.m. (WST) on January 17, 2011. At the time of the offer closing, Equinox had obtained a relevant interest of 98.8 per cent in Citadel.

The company says the merger will create a major international copper company with a pipeline of growth opportunities in Southern Africa and the Middle East.

Equinox's main asset is the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia, while Citadel was developing the Jabal Sayid copper/gold project in Saudi Arabia. Production at the Saudi project already under development is slated to begin in late 2011 or early 2012.

In October, dual-listed Equinox announced a $1.25-billion Australian takeover bid for all of Citadel.