The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced the opening of competition for local and international investors for seven mining exploration licenses in the regions of Makkah and Riyadh, covering a total area of 1,070 km².
This initiative is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to accelerate the exploration and utilization of mineral resources in the Kingdom, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. Additionally, it aims to make the mining sector a third pillar of Saudi industry.
Available Exploration License
The ministry explained that the available exploration license sites contain unique mineral resources and precious metals. These include base metals like gold, copper, zinc, lead, and silver, found across various regions of the Kingdom.
In the Makkah region, there are four notable sites:
- Wadi Al-Lith: Covers over 243 square kilometers and is rich in copper, zinc, and gold.
- Jabal Baydan: Spans 244 square kilometers and contains deposits of copper, gold, zinc, silver, and lead.
- Umm Hajlan-Ma’mla: Encompasses 78 square kilometers with copper, lead, and gold deposits.
- Jabal Al-Da’ma: Covers 210 square kilometers and has deposits of silver, lead, and zinc ores.
The proposed sites also include three locations in the Riyadh region, including the “Jabal Al-Khalla – North” site, covering an area of over 98 square kilometers, which contains deposits of zinc, silver, and lead. The “Jabal Al-Khalla – South” site, with an area exceeding 19 square kilometers, contains deposits of zinc, lead, and silver. Furthermore, there is the “Jabal Subha” site, covering an area of 171 square kilometers, which contains deposits of silver, lead, zinc, and cobalt.
The ministry indicated that the stage for submitting bids for the offered licenses began in mid-October 2024 and will continue until mid-November 2024, which is the final deadline for submitting technical bids to compete for the exploration licenses in the proposed sites. The ministry has also made available an information platform containing geological and technical data for the sites.
Finally, the winners of the bidding stage for the seventh round are expected to be announced in December.
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