RIYADH: Salt ore exploration efforts in the Eastern Province’s Ras Al-Qaryah complex will benefit from an initiative by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. This comes as the ministry has announced tendering four licenses for this purpose in the area, according to a statement. This falls in line with the government’s goal of discovering and exploiting the Kingdom’s mineral resources as well as achieving the highest returns in the process. The ministry revealed that the total area of ​​the four sites offered for competition is 5 sq. km. The Ras Al-Qaryah complex is a coastal sabkha located approximately 4 km from the sea and salt ore is naturally exposed in some locations on its surface. A sabkha is a coastal, supratidal mudflat or sandflat in which evaporite-saline minerals accumulate as the result of semiarid to arid climate. Salt ore is also deposited in the sabkha area in a stratified form and, according to previous geological studies, the thickness of the salt deposit reaches 5 m. in some areas. Furthermore, the salt raw material in sabkha is distinguished by its suitability for industrial uses to support the manufacturing and petrochemical industries as well as the production of high-purity refined table salt. Meanwhile, applications for the four exploration licenses will be received via Taadeen platform until April 18. The tender will pass through four stages, starting with fulfilling the qualification requirements, announcing the qualification of bidders, starting the bidding process for the sites, and finally announcing the results of the bidding and the winning companies. Earlier this week, the ministry revealed that Saudi Arabia’s mining sector is on an upswing, recording a 138 percent increase in the issuance of exploitation licenses since the implementation of the new investment law in 2021. This comes as the number of permits rose from eight in 2021 to 19 last year as the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources actively worked to boost mineral production and investment, according to a statement released at the time. The strategic shift is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to transform mining into a foundational industrial pillar. Saudi Arabia’s mineral wealth is valued at an estimated SR9.4 trillion ($2.4 trillion), the statement added.