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.
