Jeddah will host on January 18-20, 2009 the International exhibition for mineral exploration and development (MENA-EX 2009), under the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, represented by the administration of mineral Resources, the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) ,Saudi Arabian Mining Company MA'ADEN, Austrade, the Saudi Ministry of Transport, the Saudi Ports Authority, the Saudi Railways Organization, and British CWC at Hilton Hotel in Jeddah. Eighty international companies will exhibit their products on area of four thousand square meters in the field of exploration and mining in the Kingdom and other countries in the world. More than (1000) experts and businesswomen in the mining sector will participate in the forum. The forum will discuss a number of topics including the changing economy and investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia, Exploring Saudi Arabia's emerging mining industry, the available opportunities for the non-Arab investors, mining technology; sustainable development of the mining industry across the region, and trends of financing mining and mineral projects in the Kingdom. Experts in the field of mineral resources have reiterated the importance of organizing the exhibition, and pointed out that the exhibition reflects the great attention being given by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the sector of mineral resources. MOPM's agency for Mineral Resources has estimated the income of the Saudi mineral-based industries at sr14 billion, with profits up to SR 5 .2 billion, while investment in this sector amounted to about sr45 billion.
