Saudi Arabia Reports 5,651 Mineralization Sites in 2024, GASTAT Says

RIYADH, December 1, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released its Mineral Resources Statistics 2024 bulletin, reporting that the number of discovered mineralization sites in Saudi Arabia reached 5,651 in 2024, with non-metallic minerals representing the largest share.

According to the bulletin, non-metallic minerals accounted for 54.1% of all sites, totaling 3,058. Metallic minerals represented 42.9% with 2,423 sites, while deposits containing both metallic and non-metallic minerals made up 3.0%, or 170 sites.

GASTAT reported a notable rise in mining licenses, increasing from 1,985 in 2016 to 2,401 in 2024, marking cumulative growth of 21% over the period. Building materials quarry licenses formed the largest category last year, with 1,481 licenses issued.

In foreign trade, aluminum exports reached 283,000 tons, accounting for 62.9% of total aluminum trade, while imports stood at 167,000 tons, or 37.1%. Lead exports totaled 59,000 tons, representing 93.7% of total lead trade, with imports around 4,000 tons, or 6.3%.

Zinc trade was almost entirely import-dependent, with 88,000 tons imported—over 99.9%—while exports amounted to less than six tons. Nickel trade was fully import-based, totaling 407 tons.

The bulletin also reported an increase in phosphate fertilizer exports, rising to 5.7 million tons in 2024 from 5.4 million tons in 2023, reflecting growth of 4.6%. Imports declined sharply to 66,200 tons, down 51.7% from the previous year.

The Mineral Resources Statistics 2024 is GASTAT’s first bulletin dedicated to providing data on mineralization sites, mining licenses, and the Kingdom’s mineral trade flows.