Jeddah will host the International Exhibition for Mineral Exploration and Development (MENA-EX 2009) on Jan. 18-20 at Hilton Hotel, under the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and represented by the administration of mineral Resources, the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) ,Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden), Austrade, Saudi Ministry of Transport, Saudi Ports Authority, Saudi Railways Organization and British CWC. Eighty international companies will exhibit their products on area of four thousand square meters in the field of exploration and mining in the Kingdom and other countries in the world. MOPM's agency for Mineral Resources has estimated the income of the Saudi mineral-based industries at SR14 billion, with profits up to SR5.2 billion, while investment in this sector amounted to about SR45 billion. More than 1,000 experts and businesswomen in the mining sector will participate in the forum. The forum will discuss a number of topics including the changing economy and investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia, exploring the Kingdom's emerging mining industry, available opportunities for the non-Arab investors, mining technology; sustainable development of the mining industry across the region, and trends of financing mining and mineral projects in the Kingdom. Experts in the field of mineral resources have reiterated the importance of organizing the exhibition, and pointed out that the exhibition reflects the great attention being given by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to mineral resources sector. Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Ali Al-Naimai received here on Saturday Chairman and chief executive of Chevron David O-Reilly . They reviewed issues pertaining to the agreement signed by the Lingdom and Chevron earlier.
