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Ma'aden was formed as a Saudi joint stock company and performs all of its actions with the utmost concern for human resources, health, safety, environmental and social issues; and is committed to protecting the health and safety of its employees and the environment and implements the legal regulations necessary to do so

The sector's reform process began in the last review period, with the revision of the regulatory framework, the liberalization of contractual mechanisms, and the restructuring, through privatization, of the major mining companies. During the current review period, the mining legislation was updated to bring it into compliance with international standards. Currently, the mining sector is regulated by the following legal acts: the Mining Code of 2012; the Law on Environmental Supervision; the Law on Promoting of State Regulation of Technical Security; the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Expertise; the Civil Code; the Water Code; the Land Code; the Code on Administrative Offences; the Criminal Code; and the Tax Code.

In mining, where foreign-invested enterprises account for the largest part of total output, efforts have been made to promote sustainable development and ensure that mined products are used in a cost-effective and efficient way.

The EAC Treaty calls for the harmonization of countries' mining regulations, in order to ensure environmentally-friendly and sound mining practices. (...)

The Ministry of Mining is the authority responsible for national mining policy. The SEREMIs (Regional Ministerial Secretariats) represent the central government in all of the country's various regions. For implementing its mining policy the Ministry relies on two technical advisory bodies: the National Geology and Mining Service (SERNAGEOMIN) and the Chilean Copper Commission (COCHILCO). SERNAGEOMIN assists the Government and the courts in regulating and supervising mining safety and sustainability and in granting mining concessions, in addition to drawing up the Geological Map of Chile and keeping the mining concession and mining land registers. COCHILCO advises the Government on the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies for the sustainable development of the mining sector, supervises CODELCO and ENAMI, advises the Ministers for Mining and Finance on the budgets of these enterprises, without prejudice to its subsequent audit, and evaluates their investment projects jointly with the Ministry of Social Development in accordance with the respective laws , monitors compliance with the regulations on the marketing of copper and its byproducts and other mineral substances, and provides technical advice to State bodies such as the Foreign Investment Committee with regard to mining investment contracts and the Internal Revenue Service with regard to financial results, the analysis of records for determining taxable income and the specific tax on producers.

Gold production started in 2007. Together with copper, gold mining represents about 2.6% of GDP (2016). The main producer, Tasiast, is wholly owned by a Canada based company, Kinross. It operates gold mines some 300 km north of Nouakchott under a mining agreement with the Mauritanian State. (...) The Tasiast gold mine reportedly presents serious environmental and social dangers, in particular from cyanide pollution, air pollution, (...)

The Development Plan DENARP II (2011-2015) envisaged for 2012 the revision of the Mining and Petroleum Codes to bring them into line with community and international standards. In particular the revision was supposed to oblige operators to undertake environmental impact studies and improve the investment framework. To this end the Decree-Law of 1986 and the Law of 2000 governing the activities of the extractive industry were replaced in 2014 by a Mining and Minerals Code (Law No. 3/2014 of 29 April 2014), for which the implementing regulations have not yet been adopted. DENARP II also provided for Guinea-Bissau's joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; this process is under way, but Guinea-Bissau is still not a member.

Small scale gold mining is important, but anarchical, although in principle the authorized areas are regulated. This informal mining provides a livelihood for around 50,000 people working under conditions of serious pollution and risk. (...)

Development of the mining sector was identified as a fundamental pillar for the promotion of sustainable economic growth in the Agenda for Prosperity. The Government's main priorities in the sector are to ensure that mineral resources support economic and social development in a sustainable manner, and to increase transparency and accountability. In line with these priorities, it adopted a new Mines and Minerals Act in 2009. The Act established the Minerals Advisory Board to monitor the implementation of minerals-related polices, advise and make recommendations to the authorities, and formulate recommendations on minerals-related policies. The Board comprises representatives from the Ministry, local governments, the mining industry, and civil society.

In 2010, First Quantum Limited acquired the Sentinel copper deposit project, located in the North-Western Province of Zambia. It is part of the Trident project, which comprises five prospecting licences totalling 2,300 square kilometres. First Quantum received large-scale mining licences for the development of the Trident project in 2011. The licences give the company the exclusive rights to carry out mining operations on the full area of interest at Trident for a period of 25 years. The environmental impact assessment was approved and a land use agreement was established in July 2011 for the development of the Sentinel deposit. (...)