Saudi Arabia has unveiled seven new mining exploration licenses for both local and international investors, covering a total area of 1,070 square kilometers in the Mecca and Riyadh regions. These licenses focus on regions abundant in valuable minerals such as gold, copper, zinc, lead and silver.
In Mecca, four sites have been designated for exploration:
- Wadi Al Lith: Spanning 243 square kilometers, rich in copper, zinc and gold deposits.
- Jabal Baydan: Covering 244 square kilometers, containing copper, gold, zinc, silver and lead.
- Umm Ajlan: An area of 78 square kilometers known for copper, lead and gold.
- Jabal Al Daamah: A 210-square-kilometer site noted for its silver, lead and zinc deposits.
This initiative, launched by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, aims to accelerate the exploration and development of the country’s estimated $2.5 trillion mineral reserves, in alignment with Vision 2030 to make the mining sector a key economic pillar.
To facilitate the bidding process, the ministry has introduced a data platform that provides detailed geological and technical information about the sites. Interested parties can visit the Ta’adeen platform for application procedures and technical reports.