Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has announced the commencement of bidding for seven new mineral exploration licenses, covering approximately 1,000 square kilometers, as part of the sixth mining licensing round.
The licenses available are:
- Umm Qusur: Located in the Riyadh region, this 20 sq.km area is prospective for silver, lead, zinc, and cobalt deposits.
- Jalal Sabha: Also in Riyadh, this license spans over 171 sq.km and offers copper, silver, and gold prospects.
- Wadi Ad Dawsh (Al Farah): Situated in the Asir region, this 157 sq.km area features gold, silver, and copper deposits.
- Shaib Marqan: This 92 sq.km area in Riyadh holds copper, silver, and gold deposits.
- Wadi Al Junah: The largest exploration license offered, covering over 425 sq.km in Asir, with prospects for copper, zinc, silver, and gold.
- Hazm Shubat: Spanning more than 83 sq.km in Asir, it includes quartz, silica-carbonate-iron alteration, and gold mineralization.
- Huwaymidan: Located in the Makkah Almokaram region, this 35 sq.km area has gold mineralization deposits.
Proposals must be submitted by September 1, 2024, with winners to be announced by September 18, 2024.
