Launch of the Saudi College of Mining at King Abdulaziz University

In a significant step aimed at solidifying Saudi Arabia's position as a global hub for mining industries, the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference witnessed the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and King Abdulaziz University to establish the "Saudi College of Mining." This initiative will transform the university's College of Earth Sciences and Department of Mining Engineering into a world-class academic and research institution.

A key pillar of Vision 2030

The establishment of this college comes at a time when the Kingdom is undergoing major economic transformations as part of Vision 2030, with the mining sector considered the third pillar of national industry alongside oil, gas, and petrochemicals. The Kingdom aims to exploit its mineral wealth, estimated at approximately 9.4 trillion riyals (US$2.5 trillion), which necessitates a robust educational infrastructure capable of producing qualified national talent to lead this promising sector.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, and His Excellency the Minister of Education, Mr. Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, with the two sides represented by His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Industry for Mining Affairs, Engineer Khalid Al-Mudaifer, and the President of King Abdulaziz University, Dr. Tarif Al-Aama.

Global ambition and investment in human capital

The agreement sets an ambitious goal of ranking the new college among the top five educational institutions globally in the fields of earth sciences and mining. To achieve this, work will focus on:

• Attracting a global academic partner to transfer the latest expertise and localize technical knowledge.
• A comprehensive restructuring of undergraduate and graduate programs to keep pace with the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in mining.
• Bridging the gap between academic outputs and the actual needs of the industrial labor market.

His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources affirmed that investing in human resources is the true guarantee for the sustainability of the mining sector, noting that the college will be a factory for national competencies capable of managing giant mining projects.

The "productive education" model and system integration

For his part, the Minister of Education explained that this partnership embodies the concept of "productive education," which directly links university graduates to investment opportunities and economic development. King Abdulaziz University is an ideal incubator for this project given its long and distinguished history, including its Faculty of Earth Sciences, the first of its kind in the region.

The launch of the college complements an integrated educational and training system being developed by the Kingdom, which includes existing partnerships with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, the establishment of the Saudi Mining Technical Institute in Arar, and the National Academy of Minerals in Yanbu. This system aims to cover all stages of the sector's value chain, from geological surveying and exploration to processing and final manufacturing.

Promising future prospects

The Saudi College of Mining is expected to contribute to enhancing local content by providing a state-of-the-art research environment that addresses the technical and environmental challenges facing the sector. It will also support innovation and the development of a knowledge-based economy, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Saudi graduates in local and international job markets and reinforcing the Kingdom's leading role in the mining sector regionally and globally.