Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has extended the deadline for pre-qualification applications for the 9th round of exploration license competitions to June 16, 2025.
The deadline was extended to give investors additional time to evaluate the investment opportunities across the three mineralized belts spanning 24,423 km², ensuring a fair and equal opportunity to prepare and submit the pre-qualification applications.
The licensing round forms part of a broader strategy to accelerate greenfield exploration and development in the Kingdom’s mining and minerals sector, unlock its mineral resources valued at USD 2.5 trillion, and strengthen value-added mineral supply chains. It also supports the Ministry’s wider plan to open more than 50,000 km² of prospective mining sites for exploration licensing throughout 2025.
The Ministry specified that the targeted belts include the Al-Naqrah Belt and the Al-Sukhaybirah “Al-Safraa” Belt in the Madinah region, as well as the Al-Duwaihi “Nabaitah” Belt in the Riyadh region. These sites contain a variety of precious and base metals, including gold, copper, silver, zinc, and nickel.
It further emphasized that this year's exploration license competitions will be conducted through a fully automated system that will ensure transparency and fairness for all investors.
The pre-qualification stage for the ninth round of exploration licensing competitions commenced at the Future Minerals Forum in January. Following this stage, the Ministry will initiate the online bidding process to conclude the round and announce successful bidders by the end of August.
Key dates in the process include:
- Publishing of Online Bidding Guidelines: May 30, 2025
- Online Auction Date: July 1, 2025
- Bidding Deadline: August 15, 2025
- Announcing the Winners: August 30, 2025
Investors can access relevant geological and technical data on the “Ta’adeen” electronic platform to ensure equal opportunities among all the competitors. This step is expected to enhance transparency and efficiency in exploration processes, increase exploration expenditure in the Kingdom, enrich the National Geological Database with additional technical information, create new job opportunities, and promote sustainable economic growth. These efforts align with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing the mining sector to meet global standards, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Meanwhile, the of Investment (MISA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, launched the second phase of the “Mining Exploration Enablement” program in January. The program, which provides financial support of up to SAR 7.5 million per project for companies holding valid exploration licenses for less than five years, aims to support mineral exploration in Saudi Arabia, mitigate risks for exploration companies in their early stages, and encourage investment in the sector.
This is in addition to the incentives stipulated in the Mining Investment Law, which allows for 100% foreign-owned companies and provides funding of up to 75% of capital costs through the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF).
Over the past years, the ministry has tendered more than 10,000 square kilometers for exploration. The offering of 50,000 square kilometers in 2025 reaffirms the Kingdom’s commitment to creating a transparent and attractive investment environment that supports the growth of the mining sector and stimulates investments in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Investors can visit the Taade’en platform to learn more about the ninth licensing round: https://taadeen.sa/en/mining-bids.
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