The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, watched, on Wednesday, the progress and work plans of the largest and oldest gold factory in the Kingdom affiliated to the Saudi Arabian Mining Company "Maaden" located in the province of Mahd al-Dhahab in the city of Medina, accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Mining Affairs, Engineer Khaled Al-Mudayfer, and Deputy Minister of Industry And the mineral wealth engineer Osama Al-Zamil, and a number of industry and mining sector officials.

He was briefed on the smelting rooms and the museum in the mine, and reviewed its expansion plans, and the mechanisms of work in it. He also met with a number of mine workers.

There are currently 262 employees working in the mine, 63% of whom are Saudis.

The activity of the Mahd al-Dahab mine and factory began 3000 years ago, as the mine took advantage of intermittent periods, some of which reach the period before Christ, as the effects discovered in the mine indicated that it was exploited three thousand years ago, and large quantities of it were extracted around the year 950 BC, which is The period that coincided with the reign of Sheba in Yemen, and the era of our master Solomon, peace be upon him, in the Levant.

The mining operations began in the mine in the thirties of the last century, before it entered its new phase during the reign of King Fahd in 1983, and the mine is characterized by the presence of many minerals such as gold and silver, and copper and zinc concentrates.