Bulghah Gold Mine
Bulghah Mine is one of the gold mines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is located in Al-Henakiyah Governorate of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province, 246 km east of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The mine is operated by Ma'aden Gold and Base Metals Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden).
Production capacity of Bulghah Gold Mine
Bulghah mine began operations in 2002. Its estimated annual production capacity is approximately 43,299 oz of gold and 4,297 oz of silver.
Ore processing at Bulghah Gold Mine
Bulghah Mine is an open-pit mine where low-grade ore is processed at the on-site washing and leaching plant, while high-grade ore is transported to the Sukhaybarat Mine, located sixty-five km away, for processing.
The mine supports Saudi Arabia's economy in general and the economy of the surrounding region in particular by providing both direct and indirect employment opportunities. Young Saudis from Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province and its affiliated centers make up the majority of the Saudi workforce at the mine. Some of them received training at the Saudi Mining Polytechnic in Ar'ar, which was established by Ma'aden in collaboration with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).
In general, gold ore in Saudi Arabia is distributed across the rocks of the Arabian Shield, which extends from the central region to the west, both northward and southward. The Arabian Shield covers approximately six hundred thousand km², accounting for more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia's total area of about two million km², with around one thousand gold deposits discovered within it.
Saudi Arabia's earliest exploration operations date back to 1931, during the reign of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. In 1933, two years after exploration began, a decision was issued to establish the Bureau of Mines and Public Works to oversee mining activities in Saudi Arabia. Overall, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources oversees all mines across Saudi Arabia.
Sources
Ministry of Energy.
Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden).