Saudi Arabia granted more than 1,000 chemical permit applications in November and granted exploration rights to 172 mining sites in what the government termed its biggest licensing round to date.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources received 1,095 chemical clearance requests last month, including 1,041 approvals of non-restricted chemicals and 54 of restricted substances covering 2,081 product classifications.
It is a constituent of the continuous activity to expedite the identification and exploitation of mineral resources worth beyond SR9.4 trillion ($2.51 trillion), and this is in line with the goal of Vision 2030 of making the mining industry the third pillar of the national industrial sector.
Ministry spokesperson Jarrah Al-Jarrah clarified that the chemical clearance service will help industrial investors receive import or export permits for chemicals involved in manufacturing via the digital system called “Sanaei.”
The SPA report stated that “He clarified that the service aims to ensure that chemical clearances for industrial facilities are granted through streamlined procedures and in a timely manner, thus serving investors and facilitating the entry of their materials through ports of entry.”
Al-Jarrah described the service as a crucial role in boosting industry production by formulating and automating the production-related chemicals permit systems within the digital services offered by the ministry.
In another announcement, the ministry stated that 24 local and foreign firms and consortia had been granted exploration licenses in 172 mining areas within Saudi Arabia, with 76 areas being granted in a multi-round public auction.
The sites cover three mineral belts in Riyadh, Madinah, and Qassim areas, where intensive exploration of over SR671 million was committed within the initial two years of the implementation of the project.
According to the ministry, this round of licensing was the biggest mining tender in the history of the Kingdom. The competition spanned more than 24,000 sq.km in areas that have strategic minerals such as gold, copper, silver, zinc, and nickel.
The ministry further reported that 26 qualified firms have engaged the ministry using the electronic bidding platform, going through a transparent process which started with prequalification and ended with competitive multi-round auctions.
The ministry affirmed that these investments are meant to explore the unexploited exploration fields and increase the exploitation of Saudi Arabian mineral resources to reinforce global supply networks.
It also said that it will issue more exploration license tenders that cover 13,000 sq. km in Madinah, Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, and Hail, and more would be announced at the 5th Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh between January 13 and 15.
The ministry said that these efforts are part of a larger mining plan aimed at maximizing resource potential, attracting foreign investment, establishing employment opportunities, and integrating value chains to make Saudi Arabia a global mining hub.
