JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has launched on Sunday SR777 million Geological Mapping project for the Arabian Shield area.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) Bandar Alkhorayef inaugurated the project, which is one of the initiatives under the General Program of the Geological Survey.

It will be implemented in partnership with the Chinese Geological Survey.

The event was attended by the CEO of the Saudi Geological Survey, Eng. Abdullah Al-Shamrani, the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources for Geology and Chairman of the Chinese Geological Survey Li Jianxing and the Chinese Consul General in Jeddah Wang Qimin.

During a speech delivered at the inauguration ceremony, Alkhorayef said: “The Geological Mapping project is the largest comprehensive strategy initiative for the mining sector in terms of the nature of the business, the volume of outputs, and the coverage area.

“It represents the core of the general program of the geological survey, which is an important element in achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in the mining sector, and a first step towards what we seek, to be the third pillar of the Saudi industry.”

The project aims to generate detailed digital geological data of the Arabian Shield, understand the origin of mineral deposits in the area, and strengthen the national geological database and the national library of drilling samples.

This data will provide domestic and international investors with a comprehensive understanding of Saudi Arabia's mining sector investment opportunities.

The Chinese Consul in Jeddah Wang Qimin highlighted the project as an extension of the longstanding joint projects in the mining sector between the Kingdom and China.

He stated that it aligns with the economic development plans of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.

The detailed Geological Mapping project aims to produce 271 geological reports and maps of the Arabian Shield at a scale of 1:100,000.

It will also contribute detailed digital geological data to the National Geological Database (NGD), enabling a better understanding of mineral deposits and identifying and exploring new reservoirs to attract investments in the mining sector. — SPA