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GASTAT publishes Mineral Resources Statistics 2024

30-11-2025

General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the Mineral Resources Statistics 2024 publication, which shows the latest developments in the mining and minerals sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that the total number of discovered mineralization sites in the Kingdom reached 5,651 sites. Non-metallic minerals accounted for the largest share at 54.1% with 3,058 sites, followed by metallic minerals at 42.9% with 2,423 sites, while sites containing both metallic and non-metallic minerals accounted for 3.0% with170 sites.
The publication indicated that the number of issued mining licenses increased from 1,985 licenses in 2016 to 2,401 licenses in 2024, recording a cumulative growth of 21% during the 2016–2024 period. Building materials quarry licenses accounted for the largest group in 2024 with 1,481 licenses, followed by exploration licenses with 642 licenses, then exploitation licenses, which include building materials, mining, and quarrying with 215 licenses, while the number of reconnaissance licenses reached 41 licenses and surplus mineral ores reached 22.
Regarding the foreign trade of minerals, aluminum exports reached 283 thousand tons, accounting for 62.9% of the total aluminum trade flow, compared to imports, which amounted to 167 thousand tons at 37.1%. Lead exports recorded around 59 thousand tons, representing 93.7% of its total trade flow, while imports reached about 4,000 tons at 6.3%. As for zinc, its trade relied almost entirely on imports, which reached 88 thousand tons at more than 99.9%, while its exports did not exceed 6 tons. Furthermore, the trade movement of nickel was limited exclusively to imports, totaling 407 tons (100%).
The results further showed an increase in the Kingdom’s exports of phosphate fertilizers in 2024 to 5.7 million tons, compared to 5.4 million tons in the previous year, recording a growth of 4.6%. In contrast, imports of phosphate fertilizers reached 66.2 thousand tons in 2024, a decrease of 51.7% compared to 2023.
It is noteworthy that the 2024 Mineral Resources Statistics publication is the first edition issued by GASTAT in this field. Its data cover the number of discovered mineralization sites, issued mining licenses, and imports and exports of minerals and their products, based on data from GASTAT, in addition to administrative records from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the National Geological Database of the Saudi Geological Survey, within a time series covering the 2021–2024 period.
 

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