Industry Ministry launches tender for exploration licenses in 3 mineralized belts

Logo of The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced the launch of a tender for exploration licenses in three mineralized belts with a total area of 13,000 square kilometers.
 

According to the ministry, these belts are rich in strategic minerals including gold, silver, copper, zinc, and nickel, as part of ongoing efforts to accelerate the exploration of mineral resources in the Kingdom, which are estimated to be worth around SAR 9.4 trillion.
 

These belts, located across five regions—Madinah, Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, and Hail—include mining exploration sites that serve as an extension of previously offered areas. Among the most notable:
 

- The Nabithah / Al-Duwaihi (Dahlat Shabab) Belt, which includes the Al-Duwaihi mine, with an annual production capacity of about 180,000 ounces of gold.

- The Sukhaybarah / Al-Sufaira Belt, one of the most significant mineralized belts containing gold, copper, silver, zinc, and nickel ores, which has undergone extensive exploration studies over past decades by the Saudi Geological Survey.

- These belts also include several advanced projects, such as the Sukhaybarat mine, with estimated reserves of 729,000 ounces of gold, and the Bulghah mine, which produces over 50,000 ounces of gold annually.

- Additionally, the Al-Nuqrah Belt, which contains important gold deposits and volcanic massive sulfide (VMS) mineralizations.
 

The ministry further stated that these areas are supported by a rich technical database resulting from prior exploration activities, along with outputs from the General Geological Survey Program, which is covering the Arabian Shield with geological and geophysical surveys.
 

It also clarified that the deadline for submitting prequalification applications for the tender for exploration licenses in the designated sites is December 15, 2025.