RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has issued 138 new mining licenses during November, as part of its efforts to develop the mining sector in the Kingdom and maximize its contribution to diversifying the sources of income for the national economy.

The official spokesperson for the ministry, Jarrah Al-Jarrah, explained that the new mining licenses included 114 exploration licenses, 13 building materials quarry licenses, and seven survey licenses, as well as two surplus mineral ore licenses and two small-scale mining and mine exploitation licenses.

This comes according to the report of the National Center for Industrial and Mining Information, affiliated with the ministry, on mining indicators for November.

Al-Jarrah noted that the total number of valid mining licenses in the sector as of the end of November reached 2,719.

Building materials quarry licenses topped the list with 1,541, followed by exploration licenses with 842, then licenses for mining and small-scale mine exploitation with 255. Reconnaissance licenses came next with 66, and licenses for surplus mineral ores came last with 15.

He pointed out that the Mining Investment Law and its implementing regulations specify six types of mining licenses.

These include an exploration license, which covers all types of minerals for two years and is renewable; a reconnaissance license for all types of minerals for five years for minerals in categories A and B; a license for category C minerals for one year; and a general-purpose license linked to a mining or small-scale mine license.