Mineral Resource: The Best Investment

The unique geological setting of Yemen has provided suitable for the deposition of abundant natural resources, e.g. oil, minerals & water. It is characterized by a wide diversity of main rock units, which range in age from Precambrian to Holocene. These units of the earth’s upper crust cover the whole area of Yemen. During the previous thirty years, Yemen has performed several studies and exploration programs to achieve optimum value from its resources. Obtained results have increased mineral resource inventories, especially in the fields of industrial minerals and rocks, e.g. Zeolite, Perlite, pumice, limestone, dolomite, silica sand, gypsum and scoria. These studies have also displayed the extensive diversity of decorative and building stones in Yemen, e.g. marble, granite, travertine, limestone, basalt and tuff. These mineral resources will support national commerce & will provide many work opportunities. Moreover, the metallic minerals exploration efforts have shown interesting results and have led to the establishment of the first modern mine for zinc and lead in the country, which will start production soon. This mine proves the existence of substantial deposits of economic metallic minerals within the geological framework of Yemen. It is expected that this will attract international mining companies to invest in this important field. Investments in mining activities will initiate important social & economical development changes in Yemen. The Republic of Yemen has renewed economic growth under the leadership of the RESIDENT ALI ABDULLA SALEH, with significant petroleum exports from oil fields found within the past decade. The mineral potential of the country is also considerable, as evidenced by several millennia of mining history. For example, Dioclorus Sicilus, writing in the 1st Century B.C, mentions rich gold mines in Yemen. Iron mines in the northern mountains near the city of Sadah, copper from near Al-Bayda and silver from Jabali near Sana’a all have a long history of mining.