RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has discovered large potential gold resources along a 100km stretch south of its Mansourah Massarah gold mine in Al Khurmah governorate in the Makkah region.
In a statement this week, Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) said it had discovered multiple gold deposits and this is the first discovery under the company’s extensive exploration programme launched in 2022.
Encouraging drill results from multiple sites on Uruq South, along a 100km stretch south of Mansourah Massarah, have uncovered similar geological characteristics and chemistry to the Mansourah Massarah deposit.
Samples taken indicated the presence of high grade gold deposits of 10.4 grams per ton (g/t) gold and 20.6 g/t gold in two random drilling sites 400 meters from and under Mansourah Massarah, meaning a high density of gold was found in the ore tested from those locations. In light of these results, Maaden planned an aggressive escalation of planned drilling activities in 2024 around Mansourah Massarah.
Robert Wilt, CEO of Maaden, said that these discoveries have the potential to be the center of the world’s next gold rush and are a strong part of our growth strategy.
“These discoveries are a significant demonstration of the untapped potential of mineral resources in Saudi Arabia, supporting the diversification of the country in line with Vision 2030 and establishing mining as the third pillar of the Saudi economy,” he pointed out.