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Minerals and Mining Related
Information
     

Saudi Arabia possesses valuable resources other than oil and gas. As early as 1000 BC, gold, silver and copper were being extracted from the famous Mahd Al-Dhahab mine some 180 miles northeast of Jeddah.

The introduction of modern mining and extraction methods has once again made the mine a major producer of precious metals.

Exploration projects over the past two decades have unearthed extensive deposits of precious and industrial minerals throughout the country. These include not only gold and silver, but also copper, tin, tungsten, nickel, chrome, zinc, lead, phosphates, iron ore, bauxite, potassium ore and even table salt.

The Kingdom is also probing the mineral-rich sediments on the Red Sea floor for commercial exploitation, with plans to process them at the Yanbu industrial complex.

 

 

The Saudi mining company, Maaden, has embarked on a project to mine phosphate in the north and process it at a fertilizer plant near Jubail. This project is scheduled for completion in 2008. Meanwhile, Maaden is in the process of privatizing its activities, beginning with its gold-mining operation.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has identified 1,270 sources of precious stones and 1,170 sources of other minerals, and issues an increasing number of mining and exploration concessions.

Steps have also been taken in recent years to encourage greater private sector involvement in the development of the mining sector. These include incentives for investment by both foreign and domestic companies, and support services intended to facilitate development of minerals.

 


 

 

Related Information: Energy

RecentNews:
 
07/14/2008   Cabinet welcomes King Abdullah’s call for interfaith dialogue
07/08/2008   King Abdullah approves program for privatizing SWCC
07/01/2008   King Abdullah: Saudi Arabia not responsible for high oil prices
06/24/2008   World Bank to work with Saudi Arabia on energy initiative


Other Documents:


Energy
More than a quarter of the world's proven oil reserves lie beneath the sands and offshore waters of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of these reserves and the building of the necessary facilities to make possible their use have made the Kingdom the world's largest exporter of oil and natural gas.

Oil
In 1933, Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud granted the now-historic right to the Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL) to prospect for oil in the Kingdom.

OPEC
The level of Saudi Arabia's oil production varies according to the state of the world oil market and the quotas of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Refining
In the 1960s, Saudi Arabia began to build refineries for domestic and export production. Prior to that, the Kingdom had to send its crude oil to foreign refineries for processing and import refined products for its own use. The country rapidly expanded its refining capacity under the development plans in the 1970s.
Gas
Saudi Arabia has vast reserves of natural gas, including dissolved, associated and non-associated gases. Most of the natural gas produced is associated gas - light hydrocarbon gases such as ethane and propane produced in association with crude oil.
Electricity
The five-year development plans have targeted the electrification of the country as a top priority.
Solar Energy
In keeping with its long-standing objective of exploring major renewable sources of energy, Saudi Arabia has undertaken extensive research on solar energy.



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