SAUDI EXPATRIATES

Direct white gold mining is set to begin with a commercial pilot program, according to Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, Deputy Minister of Mining Affairs. A startup from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology called Lithium Infinity (or Lihytech) will lead the project in conjunction with Saudi mining companies Ma'aden and Aramco.

"They are using innovative technology developed at the university and are progressing rapidly," stated Al-Mudaifer, according to Reuters. In order to continuously extract lithium, the pilot will use brine discharge from oil fields.

Al-Mudaifer is confident about the project's viability due to the rising worldwide price of lithium, despite the fact that the cost of brine lithium extraction is now greater than previous methods. Most Viewed: New sites of Gold and Copper discovered in Saudi Arabia

The larger objective of Saudi Arabia is to transition away from an economy dependent on oil and become a center for electric vehicles (EVs), and this project is in line with that ambition. Lithium, also called "white gold," is considered a foundational resource for the worldwide shift to sustainable energy, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been leading attempts to discover new sources of income.

The demand for lithium is on the rise due to the diminishing supply of oil and gas, which are essential for the rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, cellphones, and other electronic devices. To keep up with this surging demand, several large oil firms are investigating lithium extraction methods, such as Occidental Petroleum and Exxon Mobil. Similar: Treasures buried in the land of Saudi Arabia