Saudi industry issues 38 new mining licenses during November

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 38 new mining licenses during the month of November, including 24 exploration licenses, 13 building materials quarry licenses, and an excess mineral ores license, according to the report of the National Center for Industrial and Mining Information of the ministry.

The report indicated that the number of mining licenses valid in the sector until the end of November amounted to 2201 licenses, topped by a building materials quarry license with 1371 licenses, followed by a exploration license with 589 licenses, then a mining and small mine exploitation license with 172 licenses, a reconnaissance license with 36 licenses, and a surplus mineral ores license. With 33 licenses.

The report stated that the Riyadh region acquired the largest number of the total mining licenses in effect in the sector with 500 licenses, followed by the Makkah region with 408 licenses, the Eastern region with 371 licenses, the Madinah region with 236 licenses, the Asir region with 186 licenses, and the Tabuk region with 139 licenses. And the Qassim region with 101 permits, the Hail region with 72 permits, the Jazan region with 69 permits, the Najran region with 47 permits, the northern border region with 25 permits, the Baha region with 24 permits, and the Al-Jawf region with 23 permits.

The mining investment law and its executive regulations specified 6 types of mining licenses, including: a reconnaissance license, which includes all types of minerals for a period of two years that can be extended, and a license to explore all types of minerals for a period of 5 years for minerals of the two categories (A) and (B), and a license for the minerals category. (c) For a period of one year, a general purpose license linked to a mining or small mine license.

The system also specified exploitation licenses, which include: a mining license for minerals of two categories (A) and (B), whose license period does not exceed 30 years, subject to renewal or extension, and a license for a small mine for minerals of two categories (A) and (B), and the duration of its license is not More than 20 years, and a building material quarry license for minerals category (C), whose license period is up to 10 years, subject to extension. The system also included a license for “surplus mineral ores in project sites or privately owned lands.”

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources seeks to protect the mining sector and maximize its value in accordance with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Industry Development and Logistics Program. To transform mining into the third pillar of the national industry, and work to exploit the mineral resources in the Kingdom, which are spread in more than 5,300 sites, and their value is estimated at about 5 trillion riyals.