Ministry of Industry opens 25,000 km2 for mining exploration licenses

Logo of Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources opened pre-qualification applications for mining exploration license competitions in three mineralized belts located in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, covering a total area of 24,950 km².

In a statement released today, March 12, by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry stated that the offered belts include the Nuqrah Belt and the Sukhaybarat-As Safra Belt in Madinah , as well as the Ad Duwayhi-Nabitah Belt in Riyadh. These sites contain several valuable and base metals, including gold, copper, silver, zinc, and nickel.

The ministry set the beginning of May as the deadline for submitting pre-qualification applications for the exploration licenses. Comprehensive geological and technical data for these sites are available on the Taadeen platform, including geological information from previous licenses and geological survey data provided by the Saudi Geological Survey, (SGS) ensuring investors have access to all necessary information.

The ministry emphasized that this year’s mining exploration license competitions have been designed to be fully automated, transparent, and fair for investors. The process consists of three main phases: pre-qualification, which assesses the technical competency of applicants; site selection and bidding; and awarding and licensing.

The pre-qualification phase began during the International Mining Conference in January and will continue until the beginning of May.

The offering of these mineralized belts to local and international exploration companies aligns with the ministry’s plan to open over 50,000 square kilometers for mining exploration licenses in 2025, as announced during the fourth edition of the International Mining Conference in January.

This initiative is part of the ministry's efforts to accelerate exploration and development in the mining and minerals sector, maximizing the utilization of the Kingdom’s mineral wealth, which is estimated at SAR 9.3 trillion. It also aims to enhance value chains in the mining industry.

In January, Abdulrahman AlBelushi, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Management at Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources, stated in an interview with Argaam that the ministry plans to offer 50,000 km² of mineralized belt sites this year, including reserves of gold and copper. This represents five times the area previously offered.