By:Zawya

Saudi Arabia has awarded exploration licenses to four companies in six mining sites across Riyadh and Makkah as part of the seventh licensing round.

Saudi-listed Almasane Alkobra Mining Company (AMAK) bagged three exploration licenses for the North and South sites in Jabal Al Klah and Jabal Al Dimah, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said in a post published on the social messaging platform X.

A venture between Abdulrahman Saad Al Rashid & Sons (ARTAR) and Gold & Minerals Limited won the exploration license for the Umm Hijlan (Mamilah).

A consortium comprising SkyLark Group and Al Kalig Al Arabi for Mining bagged the exploration license for the Wadi Al Lith site, while Power Nickel Company won the exploration license for the Jabal Baudan site.

The ministry received 24 bids from 11 local and international companies. The six sites cover an area of 890 square kilometres.

The ministry plans to offer 50,000 sq km of mineralised belts containing gold, copper, and zinc during the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025.