The number of sites allocated to the mineral activities of the Department of the mineral Resources in various regions of the Kingdom amounted to more than / 254 / sites with a total area of more than 53,000 square kilometers at the end of last year, said Dr. Sultan Jamal Shawli, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources for mineral resources in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on the launching of the Second International Exhibition and Forum for Mineral Resources Exploration and Development MENA-EX 2009 currently held in Jeddah The ministry has issued more than 1408 licenses for about 700 investors from companies, institutions and individuals adding that the ministry granted certificates to investors for the export of local raw materials of about 4.7 million tons of minerals and / 306,000 / cubic meters of ornamental stones, he added The number of permits for mining and quarry is estimated at about 57 licenses in an area of 1207sq km, 22 licenses are for the exploitation of cement, / 21 / licenses for the exploitation of various industrial raw materials and / 14 / licenses for the exploitation of precious metals, base metals, iron, topaz, phosphate and bauxite ores, adding that the number of licenses for small-scale mines reached / 58 / licenses granted to a number of companies and institutions in various industrial raw materials .
