The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources revealed that the mining licenses in force in the sector amounted to 1,795 licenses, including: 1041 building materials quarries, 22 exploration licenses, in addition to 563 exploration licenses, and 169 licenses for mining exploitation and small mines. The growth of licenses numbers reflects the positive change in the environment. The investment sector, which was brought about by the mining investment system.

In its report on its mining indicators, it indicated that the number of new licenses issued by the ministry during the month of September was 41, including: 34 for building materials quarries, in addition to 7 licenses for mineral exploration, indicating that there were 559 requests for detection licenses within nine months, of which: 326 are pending. The approval of the relevant authorities, while 396 licenses were issued, including 133 exploration licenses, 241 building materials quarry licenses, and 22 exploration licenses.

The mining investment system and its executive regulations define six types of mining licenses, which are a survey license that includes all types of minerals with a duration of two years that can be extended, a detection license for all types of minerals for a period of five years for category A and B minerals, and one year for category C minerals, and a general purpose license that is linked to With a mining license or small mine, and exploitation licenses that include: a mining license for minerals of categories A and B whose license period does not exceed 30 years, renewable or extendable, and a small mine license for minerals of categories A and B whose license period does not exceed 20 years, and a building materials quarry license for category minerals A. The term of its license is up to 10 years, which can be extended.

The Ministry announced the implementation of 2,617 inspection visits to mining sites during the past months of 2021, where 506 violating mining sites were monitored, and in September specifically, 136 violating sites were monitored after carrying out 481 inspection visits, and the list of fines and penalties against violators was applied.

Through these inspection visits, the Ministry aims to follow up on the commitment of licensed investors to the requirements and conditions of each license, and to ensure that they follow the best international practices that ensure the sustainability of the sector.

The new mining investment system enhances the protection of the mining sector, as its executive regulations included imposing penalties and fines on violators, which generates confidence in the sector and increases its attractiveness to investors. This is one of the violations punishable by the executive regulations.

The "Ta'aen" platform is one of the initiatives aimed at developing and improving the level of business performance in the mining sector, by providing all the services of the sector through digital channels, with the aim of facilitating the investor's journey and increasing the satisfaction of the beneficiaries. The platform provides many services to investors in the mining sector, which contributes to reducing the number of procedures for each process and reduces the time and effort required for each procedure.