Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said new mining exploitation licences issued in 2025 surged by 220 percent year-on-year, reflecting rising investor interest in the exploration and development of the Kingdom’s mineral resources valued at more than 9.4 trillion Saudi riyals ($2.5 trillion).

The ministry’s official spokesperson Jarrah Al-Jarrah said a total of 61 mining and small mine exploitation licences were issued in 2025, compared with 19 licences in 2024.

Investments linked to the newly issued licences exceeded SAR 44 billion Saudi ($11.7 billion), targeting high-value minerals including gold and phosphate.

By the end of 2025, the total number of active mining exploitation licences in Saudi Arabia reached 275, covering an area of approximately 2,160 square kilometres.

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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