Saudi Arabia awarded mining exploration licences in a fourth round of tenders, the state news agency said on Wednesday.

A consortium of Ajlan & Bros. Company and Norinco won a licence to explore at Bir Ammq and a consortium of the Royal Roads Company and MSB Holding Company won a licence to explore at Jabal Al-Sahabiya, it said.

The agency said the Bir Amq mining site was located in the city of Mahd Al-Dhahab in the west of Saudi Arabia and covers an area estimated at more than 187 square kilometres (72.2 square miles) that contains mineral deposits of copper and zinc.

Jabal Al-Sahabiya mining site is located in Tathleeth in the south and covers an area estimated at more than 283 square kilometers with mineral deposits of zinc, lead, and copper.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam in Dubai; editing by Jason Neely and Barbara Lewis)