Saudi Arabia has decided to extend the bidding deadline for several local and international companies vying for 35 new mining strips with an area of nearly 4,788 square kilometres (sq. km.), newspapers in the Gulf Kingdom have reported.

Pre-qualification bidding deadline will now end on 31 October after the Industry and Mineral Resources Ministry agreed on a request by investors to extend the deadline, they said, citing a Ministry report on Sunday.

According to the report, published by Al-Madina and other dailies, three mining belts are located in Shawas in the Southern Asir Province with a total area of 2,892 sq km and Mount Sayid, Southwest of the Western Medina city with an area of about 1,896 sq.km. Investors in those areas will hunt for gold, silver, lead and zinc.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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