The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources organized field visits for qualified international and local companies competing for mining exploration licenses in the fourth round at the "Umm Hadeed, Bir Omq, and Jabal Al-Suhayba" sites. The goal was to allow competitors to examine the technical, geological, and infrastructure characteristics of these sites before the submission of bids and the announcement of winners in August.
The Ministry's spokesperson, Mr. Jaraah bin Mohammed Al-Jaraah, explained that these visits are part of assessing the ability of interested companies to work at these sites and understanding the potential development and updating needs in infrastructure and exploration technologies. The visits also aim to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry and companies interested in developing and investing in the mining sector in the Kingdom.
Al-Jaraah emphasized that Saudi Arabia's mining sector has successfully attracted many quality investments, drawing new companies into the competition program for the first time. He noted that the exploration licenses' competitive process complements the current licensing system developed under the Mining Investment Law to meet the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and increase spending on exploration operations in the Kingdom.
The visited mining sites include Bir Omq, located in the Madinah region, covering 187 square kilometers and containing copper and zinc ores; Umm Hadeed, in the Riyadh region, spanning 246 square kilometers with silver, lead, zinc, and copper ores; and Jabal Al-Suhayba, in the Asir region, covering 283 square kilometers and rich in zinc, lead, and copper ores. This round marks the fourth competitive mining license for exploration in the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources confirmed that applications for the fifth round of exploration license competitions are still open for the sites of Al-Namas and Al-Halhalah, located in the Asir region, which contain copper and gold ores.
The Ministry is expected to announce the winning companies of this competition in August. Qualified competitors in the next phase will be required to submit work programs, demonstrate technical capabilities, and prepare environmental and social impact plans, including employment rates and local procurement from the surrounding areas, to contribute to regional development and community engagement. Innovation and development plans for these sites will also be required.
The mining license competition is part of Saudi Arabia's efforts under the Accelerated Exploration Initiative, announced by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Saudi Geological Survey Authority in early 2024. The initiative aims to exploit the Kingdom's mineral resources, increase the mining sector's contribution to GDP, and enhance the national economy while creating quality job opportunities for Saudi citizens.
