Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources on Wednesday announced that it has opened bidding for seven new mineral exploration licenses spanning an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres as part of sixth mining licensing round.

The seven licenses on offer as follows:

• Umm Qusur, located in Riyadh region, spans an area of 20 square kilometres (sq.km) and offers prospects for silver lead, zinc and cobalt deposits.
• Jalal Sabha, also located in Riyadh region, spans an area of more than 171 sq.km. It contains copper, silver and gold prospects.
• Wadi Ad Dawsh (Al Farah) is located in Asir region. Spread over an area of more than 157 sq. km., it offers gold, silver and copper deposits.
• Shaib Marqan, spanning 92 sq. km. in Riyadh region, has copper, silver and gold deposits.
• Wadi Al Junah, in Asir region, is the biggest exploration license on offer at more than 425 sq.km. It contains copper, zinc, silver and gold prospects.
• Hazm Shubat, spread over an area of more than 83 sq.km. in Asir region, contains quartz, silica-carbonate-iron alteration, and gold mineralisation.
• Huwaymidan in MakkahAlmokaram region, spans an area of 35 sq.km. and contains gold mineralisation deposits.

The ministry has set a deadline of 1 September 2024 for submission of proposals with winners slated to be announced by 18 September 2024.