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Saudi Arabia Launches Survey to Detect Mineral Deposits

Saudi Arabia launches first geophysical survey aircraft in the Dawadmi province in Riyadh region (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia launches first geophysical survey aircraft in the Dawadmi province in Riyadh region (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Survey to Detect Mineral Deposits

Saudi Arabia launches first geophysical survey aircraft in the Dawadmi province in Riyadh region (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia launches first geophysical survey aircraft in the Dawadmi province in Riyadh region (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s mining sector entered a new phase on Tuesday by launching a geophysical survey of the Arab Shield region in the Dawadmi province, which administratively belongs to Riyadh.

The survey covers more than 600,000 square kilometers and aims to discover mineral deposits in the region and attract new investments into the Kingdom’s mining sector. This will directly stimulate the Saudi economy.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Mudaifer announced the start of geophysical survey work in the Arab Shield region on Tuesday.

Al-Mudaifer made the announcement on behalf of the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey Bandar Al-Khorayef.

He announced the start on Tuesday after launching in Dawadmi the first geophysical survey aircraft, which began geophysical survey work in the Arab Shield region.

The survey results, interpretations, and technical reports will be preserved and added to the National Geosciences Database (NGD), which will give earth sciences data to beneficiaries in various industries.

The data will provide a basis to attract investments in the mining sector, achieving one of the primary objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Saudi Geological Survey CEO Abdullah Al-Shamrani stated that the authority seeks to gather diverse high-resolution geological data for the Arabian Shield.

Al-Shamrani added that the data will be used to support mineral exploration, which will help in Saudi Arabia’s economic growth and diversify its revenue sources.

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Kingdom is one of the world’s wealthiest countries in mineral resources, with an estimated value of $1.3 trillion.

A magnetic and radiological geophysical survey of the Arabian Shield in Saudi Arabia will be part of the aerial geophysical survey project.

According to Al-Shamrani, the authority also expects to gather high-resolution geomagnetic and radiometric data, as well as interpretations of magnetic and radiological maps that depict the most important geological formations and rock facies.

This will enable identifying and counting essential mineralized environments.

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Business

French Companies to Inject New Investments in Egyptian Market

Hossam Heiba, Chairman of the Investment Authority and Free Zones, signs a memorandum of understanding with the French Investment Promotion Agency in the presence of Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. (Egyptian Investment Authority)
Hossam Heiba, Chairman of the Investment Authority and Free Zones, signs a memorandum of understanding with the French Investment Promotion Agency in the presence of Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. (Egyptian Investment Authority)
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French Companies to Inject New Investments in Egyptian Market

Hossam Heiba, Chairman of the Investment Authority and Free Zones, signs a memorandum of understanding with the French Investment Promotion Agency in the presence of Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. (Egyptian Investment Authority)
Hossam Heiba, Chairman of the Investment Authority and Free Zones, signs a memorandum of understanding with the French Investment Promotion Agency in the presence of Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. (Egyptian Investment Authority)

Several French companies have committed to making new investments in the Egyptian market across various sectors, including transportation, food, and pharmaceuticals.

According to a statement by Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) on Saturday, companies such as Lesaffre (in yeast production), Alstom (transport), Sanofi (pharmaceuticals), and Decathlon (specialized retail in sportswear and equipment) have pledged to invest further in Egypt. These plans aim to leverage the significant improvements in the country’s investment infrastructure and legislative framework.

French investments in Egypt currently stand at approximately €7 billion (around $7.7 billion), distributed across 180 companies in various sectors. The companies’ commitment to expansion was made during a promotional visit to France by GAFI CEO Hossam Heiba, accompanied by Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan Al-Khatib.

The visit included participation in the Egyptian-French Business Forum held in Paris and Marseille, with the attendance of French Minister of Foreign Trade Sophie Primas and more than 350 French companies.

The Egyptian officials also held meetings with John Cockerill, a leader in hydrogen production equipment, representatives of bpi France, a French investment bank and the chairman of CMA CGM, a French logistics and maritime company and a key development partner of Egypt.

Heiba noted that Egypt has successfully attracted a significant number of global and French companies, benefiting from its strategic position as an investment and export hub for Africa. He emphasized that his country has maintained its position as the top African destination for investments in 2022 and 2023, with expectations of continuing this trend in the coming years. This is further supported by the record-breaking foreign direct investment, which reached $46.1 billion in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Additionally, Heiba signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the French Investment Promotion Agency, which aims to sustain investment cooperation between Egypt and France, focusing on providing investor support, fostering partnerships between the two countries' business communities, and sharing data on target sectors and legislative developments. The agreement also covers the organization of investment promotion events and exploratory business tours.

The French side highlighted the substantial investments made by French companies in Egypt, particularly in telecommunications, healthcare, and cosmetics. Companies such as Valeo, Capgemini, Atos, and Orange Business Services operate in Egypt’s IT and communications sector, while Servier, AXA, AXA One Health, Sanofi, and Air Liquide have made significant contributions to the healthcare sector. L'Oréal is also a major player in the cosmetics industry.

This promotional visit is part of Egypt’s efforts aimed at expanding investment ties with Europe, following the 2024 Egypt-European Investment Conference held in Cairo in June, and the March 2023 announcement of an enhanced strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union.