SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Phosphate Deposits May Be Significant 

Phosphate deposits discovered at Jalamid in Northern Saudi Arabia may be the biggest in the Middle East, according the Saudi Government's geological consultants. Reserves at Jalamid have been estimated at 310mn tons of ore containing an average 23D phosphorous pentoxide. The consultants add that feasibility studies would have to be conducted before exploiting the deposits and mining could not begin before 7 to 10 years.