Saudi Arabia launched SR777 million Geological Mapping project for the Arabian Shield area

The SR777 million Geological Mapping project for the Arabian Shield region was started by Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The project, which is one of the projects within the General Programme of the Geological Survey, was inaugurated by Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS). In collaboration with the Chinese Geological Survey, it will be put into action.

Eng. Abdullah Al-Shamrani, the CEO of the Saudi Geological Survey, Li Jianxing, the Chairman of the Chinese Geological Survey, and Wang Qimin, the Consul General of China in Jeddah, all attended the ceremony.

Eng. Abdullah Al-Shamrani, the CEO of the Saudi Geological Survey, Li Jianxing, the Chairman of the Chinese Geological Survey, and Wang Qimin, the Consul General of China in Jeddah, all attended the ceremony.

Alkhorayef noted in a speech at the ceremony of inauguration: "In terms of the nature of the business, the volume of outputs, and the coverage area, the Geological Mapping project is the most complete strategic effort for the mining industry. It is the cornerstone of the overall geological survey programme, which is crucial to accomplishing the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 for the mining sector and a first step towards becoming the third pillar of the Saudi economy.

The project seeks to expand the national geological database and the national library of drilling samples, provide extensive digital geological data of the Arabian Shield, and explain the genesis of mineral deposits in the region. This information will give domestic and foreign investors a thorough grasp of the investment potential in Saudi Arabia's mining sector.

The initiative, according to the Chinese Consul in Jeddah Wang Qimin, is an expansion of the two countries' long-running cooperative mining ventures. He said that it is consistent with the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Kingdom's Vision 2030 ambitions for economic growth.

A scale of 1:100,000 will be used to create 271 scientific reports and maps of the Arabian Shield as part of the thorough geological mapping project. Additionally, it will add comprehensive digital geological data to the National Geological Database (NGD), allowing for a better understanding of mineral deposits and the identification and exploration of new reservoirs to draw investment into the mining industry.