Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Mr. Khalid Al-Mudaifer announced the launch of the first geophysical survey aircraft in the Dawadmi province in Riyadh region.
The Saudi Geological Survey’s CEO, Mr. Abdullah Al-Shamrani, stated that the authority seeks to gather diverse high-resolution geological data for the Arabian Shield, which spans up to 600,000 square kilometers in Saudi Arabia. It will also detect mineral deposits in the region.
Mr. Al-Shamrani added that the data will be used to support mineral exploration, which will help in Saudi Arabia’s economic growth and diversify its revenue sources. The data will also serve as a foundation for attracting investments in the mining sector, achieving one of the major goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Kingdom is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of mineral resources, with an estimated value of $1.3 trillion. Mineral wealth, after petroleum and petrochemicals, will become the country’s third-largest source of economic wealth, Mr. Al-Shamrani said.
A magnetic and radiological geophysical survey of the Arabian Shield in Saudi Arabia will be part of the aerial geophysical survey project. The authority also expects to gather high-resolution geomagnetic and radiometric data, as well as interpretations of magnetic and radiological maps that depict the most important geological formations and rock facies. This will enable them to identify and count the most important mineralized environments.
The survey results, interpretations, and technical reports will be preserved and added to the National Geosciences Database (NGD), which will give earth sciences data to beneficiaries in various industries, the most important of which are mining investment and scientific research.
