| Abstract: | The Arabian Shield is divided into several segments by ophiolite zones. The segments display features of island arcs with respect to their magmatic evolution as well as their mineralization.The northern part of the “Hulayfah—Hamdah ophiolite belt” which cuts the Arabian Shield in a north—southerly direction, has been sampled and described. Serpentinized ultramafics, gabbros, doleritic dike rocks and basalts are the most important members. The ophiolite belt is marked by magnetic anomalies with amplitudes of 200–500 gammas.In conclusion, the Arabian Shield is considered to be built up of several generations of juxtaposed volcanic arcs of Late Proterozoic age. The arcs have been closely swept together squeezing out the trench-fill sediments in the case of the Hulayfah—Hamdah belt. Cratonization was completed by the end of the Precambrian. |
