Saudi Arabia is planning to offer new mining sites to investors in 2025 with a total area of around 50,000 square km, an official was quoted on Tuesday as saying.

The world’s largest oil exporter awarded sites on an area of 10,000 square km in 2024 with a total investments of about 28 billion Saudi riyals ($7.4 billion), said Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources.

“This year there will be an emphasis on attracting investments to the mining industry in Saudi Arabia…we plan to offer sites on an area of 50,000 sq km through public auctions,” Mudaifer told the Saudi Alarabiya satellite TV.

Mudaifer spoke ahead of an international mining forum that was due to begin in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

More than 20,000 delegates have registered for the 3-day Future Minerals Forum which officials said would include new mining deals.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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