Saudi Gazette report
MAKKAH — Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal inaugurated Al-Duwaihi Gold Mine and Factory and the Mining Infrastructure Projects in Makkah region.
Al-Duwaihi gold mine, the biggest gold mine in the Kingdom, is owned and operated by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden).
The gold mine is located in an area known geologically as the center of the Arabian Shield in the western region.
The ceremony opened with the pouring of liquid gold into a mold.
The ceremony also included projects related to the infrastructure of the mining industry in Makkah region.
Prince Khaled Al-Faisal praised the efforts of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources.
Adviser at the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Prince Faisal Bin Turki Bin Abdulaziz thanked Prince Khaled for his support and attending the launching ceremony of Al-Duwaihi Gold Mine and Factory.
The mining industry is one of the most promising industries in the Kingdom. There are plans to develop gold centers in the central and northern areas of the Arabian Shield in the Kingdom.
According to the Fourth Five Year Plan, gold had been discovered at some 600 sites around the Kingdom and a total of 29 prospects have been drilled.
The Mahad Al-Dhabab (the Cradle of Gold) gold mine was re-opened with the intention of developing a high-grade underground gold mine with a capacity of 400 tons of ore per day. This venture encouraged further exploration for gold elsewhere in the Kingdom.
All known gold deposits in the Kingdom are located in the Pre-Cambrian rocks of the Arabian Shield which lies in the western region of Saudi Arabia.
