Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – A Globally Emerging Minerals Province

Metallogenic Potential

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is rapidly being recognised as one of the world’s most prospective and underexplored mineral regions. Much of the country is underlain by the Arabian Shield, a vast Precambrian terrane extending across western Saudi Arabia that hosts a diverse range of mineral systems, including intrusion-related gold, volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS), epithermal gold, and porphyry and skarn-style copper–gold deposits.

This metallogenic endowment is demonstrated by numerous historic and modern discoveries, including large-scale gold and base metal deposits. Importantly, significant portions of the Arabian Shield remain underexplored by modern standards, with limited application of contemporary geophysics, geochemistry and systematic drilling. This presents a compelling opportunity for new discoveries, particularly for copper and gold systems aligned with global demand for electrification and decarbonisation metals.

Government Support for Exploration

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a structural transformation of its mining sector under Vision 2030, positioning mining as the “third pillar” of the national economy alongside oil and petrochemicals. This strategy is underpinned by strong government support, progressive regulation, and substantial investment in geological data and exploration incentives.

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIMR) has implemented a transparent and competitive licensing regime, designed to attract international explorers and developers. Complementing this, the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) has generated extensive, high-quality datasets across the Arabian Shield, including airborne geophysics, geochemical mapping, and digitised legacy exploration data, all of which are made available to explorers.

In addition, the Exploration Enablement Program (EEP) provides direct financial support, with reimbursements of up to US$2 million per exploration licence for eligible expenditures such as drilling, assays and technical studies. This combination of financial incentives, access to data, and streamlined permitting processes significantly reduces exploration risk and accelerates project development timelines.