Written by – Sulaiman Al-Othaim:
businessman
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sulaiman Al-Othaim Group
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Gold Refinery Company
The inspection tour carried out by His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs, Engineer Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, was to a number of mining sites located within the scope of the “Arabian Shield”, and to review the mining projects being implemented, and to learn about the geographical and geological nature of these sites, to shed light on The importance of these sites and their role in drawing a road map for the future of mineral wealth investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Therefore, His Excellency’s tour included a visit to the most important mining sites, most notably the Al-Hawiyah copper and gold deposit, north of the city of Taif, and the Shuaib Al-Tayr deposit located along the Wadi (Baydah) belt in the Al-Bahah region, in addition to a visit to the specific mining site located south of Bisha Governorate in the Asir region, which was completed. He recently presented it as one of the new investment opportunities in the mining sector, in addition to inspecting the Al-Hajar mine in the Asir region, which is affiliated with the Saudi Arabian Mining Company “Ma’aden”.
The tour of the Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs comes within the Ministry’s plans aimed at maximizing the benefit of the Kingdom’s natural resources, which are estimated at about 5 trillion riyals, and ensuring the achievement of sustainability in the mining sector, which represents one of the most important strategic sectors in diversifying the economy, developing non-oil revenues, and contributing in gross domestic product, in line with the goals of Vision 2030, the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program “Nadlab” and the Accelerated Exploration Program initiative.
It is known that the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources continues its intensive efforts through its strategic plans to support the mining sector, as it presented more than 10 investment opportunities, which are the first of their kind in the history of the mining sector in the Kingdom, to reveal a number of mineral ores to local and foreign investors, and it also succeeded in holding the first competition. A public e-mail on the Al-Khenaqiyah site, which is one of the largest exploratory sites in the Kingdom with an area of 350 km, and which witnessed the ongoing competition of a number of international and local companies and alliances.The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources is also working to allocate a number of sites in various regions of the Kingdom as private complexes for mining activities, without prejudice to private ownership stipulated in the mining investment system. With the aim of developing the areas adjacent to the mining complexes, creating job opportunities for the people of these areas, increasing development, and raising the proportion of purchases from local markets.
In conclusion, we can say that His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Engineer Khaled Al-Mudaifer, is making intensive efforts for the mining sector at the internal and external levels. The Mining Conference and the India Exhibition, which was held recently in Cape Town, South Africa, with the participation of a number of mines and factories, attest to the efforts made in this sector. Because of its great impact in supporting the mining sector and facilitating bringing mining investment and exploiting the natural resources of the land in alliance with international companies and introducing what the mining industry has achieved in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in accordance with the ambitious national vision that aims in this field to invest natural resources. And its treasures
