National Geological Database

Introduction:


The National Geological Database (NGD) will be the cornerstone of the proposed mineral resource and mining information management system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It will contribute to economy of the country by increasing the value derived from the mining sector, which is one of the main pillars of the national economy. It will offer to investors and researchers in the fields of the earth sciences and mining an access to a wide range of NGD data and information through a variety of electronic portals. The databases include detailed geological survey data, prospecting, and mining works in the Kingdom. They also include exploration information for mineral resource assessments and drill data that were gained from the geological exploration projects in the Kingdom.

The Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) has collected and developed within its spatial data system a wide range of spatial information and applications in geology and exploration in order to serve researchers and experts in analyzing and using geosciences data to address the scientific and economic needs of the Kingdom. This data system contains a great deal of the data that are required in the NDG Portal. The benefits of NDG are as follows:

  1. Consolidate mineral recourses and mining data in the Kingdom.
  2. Develop and promote the governance of the NGD infrastructure.
  3. Assist in the development of the mining sector and derive benefits from the mining outcomes to increase the (write in full please )GDP of the Kingdom.
  4. Raise investment forecasts and revenues in the field of mining through the integration of the NGD with relevant state authorities.
  5. Provide reliable, secure and accurate information to the public and private sectors through a unified portal that contributes to reliable and accurate decision-making.

Tasks of the Geoscience NGD:

  1. Gathering data from the previous geological surveys and prospecting projects in the Kingdom.
  2. Develop analytical tools for spatial information systems and digital information solutions to enable decision-makers to manage and utilize mineral resources in the Kingdom.
  3. Provide topographic and geologic maps and environmental maps, geologic hazards, etc., to the scientific authorities and institutions with interests in the fields of geology and mining.
  4. Manage the Geoscience NGD by granting ACCESS to individuals and institutions in and outside the Kingdom, whose works are within the domain of or related to the geosciences.
  5. Provide spatial and digital data and electronic services in Arabic and English and develop electronic dictionaries for scientific and technical terms that are used in the fields of the geosciences, mining, and map productions.
  6. Build a digital library of various images of space sensors that are processed to serve the geological survey, particularly in the conduct of prospecting projects, natural hazard monitoring, environmental studies, and exploitation for natural resources in the Kingdom.
  7. Develop and manage the online portal of the virtual digital library of the national drilling information.
  8. Attract and train Saudi cadres in the fields of spatial information systems and their applications in the geosciences.
  9. Share information and scientific data in GIS and remote sensing with government agencies, companies, local and international geological and mining research centers, and institutions working within the fields of the geosciences.