Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s discovered mineralization sites reached 5,651 in 2024, led by non-metallic deposits that accounted for 54.1 percent of the total, or 3,058 sites, the General Authority for Statistics said in its annual Mineral Resources Statistics bulletin.

"Highlighting recent developments in the Kingdom's mining sector, the bulletin reported that metallic minerals accounted for 42.9 percent with 2423 sites, while sites containing both metallic and non-metallic minerals comprised about 3.0 percent, totaling 170 sites," the Saudi Press Agency reported.

GASTAT also reported a notable rise in mining licenses, increasing from 1,985 in 2016 to 2,401 in 2024, reflecting a cumulative growth of 21 percent. Building materials quarry licenses made up the largest share in 2024, totaling 1,481 licenses.

In foreign trade, aluminum exports reached 283,000 tonnes, accounting for 62.9 percent of total aluminum trade, while imports stood at 167,000 tonnes, or 37.1 percent.

Lead exports totaled 59,000 tonnes, representing 93.7 percent of its total trade, with imports at around 4,000 tonnes, or 6.3 percent.

Zinc trade was almost entirely reliant on imports, totaling 88000 tonnes, or over 99.9 percent, while exports did not exceed 6 tonnes. Nickel trade was exclusively import-based, totaling 407 tonnes.

"The bulletin also noted an increase in the Kingdom's phosphate fertilizer exports in 2024, rising to 5.7 million tonnes from 5.4 million tonnes the previous year, reflecting a growth of 4.6 percent," SPA reported.

Conversely, the news agency added, imports of phosphate fertilizers fell to 66,200 tonnes in 2024, a decline of 51.7 percent compared to 2023.

As GASTAT’s first bulletin of its kind, the Mineral Resources Statistics 2024 presents data on discovered mineralization sites, issued mining licenses, and the exports and imports of minerals and their manufactured products.