MADINA: Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed has told the Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources to “make all the necessary arrangements” for the Saudi Arabian Mining Company – Ma'aden” – to put in place environmental measures at Mahd Al-Dhahab. The order, issued in a telegram from the Prince to the ministry, comes in response to complaints from local residents over pollution as well as a Health Affairs report that cites increasing numbers of cases of chest complaints, kidney failure and tumors. Other academic reports cite high levels of harmful substances in the earth in the region, reports which Ma'aden attempted to refute by contracting a Canadian university to carry out its own study. The study, however, confirmed the original analyses. The ministry has since been asked to provide evidence refuting the claims made in all relevant reports by a court in Makkah. Prosecuting lawyer Fahd Al-Uqaili said that the ministry had “ignored all the facts on the ground”, including the conclusions of scientific studies conducted by specialized research centers both in the Kingdom and abroad”. “That shows the insistence of Ma'aden in continuing to violate Saudi environment law, despite it knowing the environmental pollution that results from that, which poses a threat to both the environment and the local population,” he said. The gold and silver mine at Mahd Al-Dhahab is the largest in the Kingdom, producing approximately 100,000 ounces of gold and 300,000 ounces of silver per year. The town of Mahd Al-Dhahab – literally “Cradle of Gold” – and the wider region takes its name from the presence of gold just to the south east of Madina. Recent reports have shown that mining at the site occurred about 3,000 years ago, with carbon dating establishing that mining took place during the Abbasid period, specifically during the era of Caliph Haroon Rasheed when over 40 tons of gold and silver were mined. Mining was renewed for a third time in the era of the Kingdom's founder King Abdul Aziz, conducted by the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate – better known as SAMS - when 123 tons of gold and 31 tons of silver were mined. With low prices, high production costs, and poor concentrations of raw materials, however, work at the mine stopped temporarily before it was resumed officially during the reign of King Fahd. In 1988 commercial production began alongside other production activities, the mine's management commenced an exploration program to search for further raw material in the region. The results were positive and encouraging, and an increased quantity of raw materials was discovered which prolonged the life of the mine and reduced capital costs. The mine is accessed by tunnels of over 40 meters in length, and the site also has a factory, refinery and electricity plant, as well as a water desalination unit. It also has a maintenance workshop, storage depots and a residential housing site for families and senior employees. Mining is carried out using the most up-to-date technology, from digging equipment to the treatment of the final product of gold, silver, copper and zinc, all carried out by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, “Ma'aden”. Different methods of extraction are used depending on the depth, thickness and form of gold vein, as well as the level of rock cohesion surrounding the vein. After using explosives to extract the raw material, it is brought to the earth's surface in quantities of 600 tons a day, after which the material is sorted for its concentrations of gold, silver, copper and zinc. The mine was once subject to robbery. Two years ago 13 Filipino workers made away with 70 kilograms of gold, but they were caught at King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah as they attempted to leave the country with the stolen material hidden inside a television set.
