The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) conducted inspection tours of more than 2,000 mining sites during the month of July.
According to a report in the Saudi Gazette, the agency visited 2,013 locations across different regions of Saudi Arabia, issuing a total of 101 penalties on establishments found to be violating the provisions of the Mining Investment Law.
Of those, 49 penalties were classified as a failure to abide by the license conditions. Another 26 were issued for working outside the limits of the license, and 24 penalties were linked to working with an expired license. Two of the penalties came for working without obtaining a license.
MIM spokesperson Jarrah Al-Jarrah told the paper that Makkah region sites constituted the largest number of violators with 29 penalties, followed by Madinah region with 19 penalties, and Al-Jouf region with 11 penalties. The Riyadh region recorded 9 penalties, Asir and Al-Sharqiyah regions 7 each, Al-Qassim region 6, the Northern Border 5, Jazan region 4, Hail region 2 and Najran region 1.
Al-Jarrah said the ministry’s intention to continue inspection tours to follow up on mining activities and ensure protection of the sector from illegal practices, according to the Gazette. It is also seeking to preserve the mineral resources for optimal utilization and to protect communities neighboring mining areas while also applying the regulations of the Mining Investment Law.
The MIM noted its mission is to increase value and raise attractiveness for investments as it pushes to make it the “third pillar of the national industry” per the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Source: Saudi Gazette (Saudi ministry conducts over 2,000 inspection tours of mining sites in July – Saudi Gazette)