JEDDAH, 12 September 2006 — Saudi Arabia is set to host the ninth Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization conference that is scheduled to be held on Oct. 30.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will inaugurate the conference in which 1,100 Arab and non-Arab experts and delegates are expected to attend. The conference will be focusing on Arab mineral resources and exploring potential to develop resources in a coordinated manner.
Individuals representing the mining industry from the United States, Malaysia, Germany and France besides various Middle East countries are expected to attend the conference. The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries will also participate in the conference.
In relation to the conference Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi, chairman of the Organizing and Preparatory Committee of the conference, will also be presiding at a meeting that will be discussing the conference, in Rabat tomorrow. Officials from 17 Arab countries will also be attending the meeting.
Al-Naimi will also begin a workshop under the theme “Geological Information System and Remote Sensing Technology to Locate Mineral Sources.” The preparatory meeting will also discuss various technical and organizational aspects of the conference including the papers that will be presented.
Participants will also discuss an exhibition that is to be held in the sidelines of the conference and will visit various mines in the Kingdom including the gold and precious stones mines in addition to having the opportunity review documents of the first ministerial consultative meeting.
Eight conferences have been periodically held under the aegis of the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization over the past 34-years. The first was held in Iraq in 1972 followed by conferences in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Syria, Egypt and Yemen in 2003.
