Because of very limited information of the clay minerals of Southern Jazan region (Saudi Arabia),  the mineralogy of the clay fraction  has been studied.  A total of nineteen soil samples  from five sites representing the main  landforms in the region  were studied.  X-ray  diffraction, differential thermal  and thermo gravimetric analyses  were carried  out on the samples.  Smectite,  kaolinite and illite were fmmd to be the predominant soil minerals. Other minerals present in small quantities included: Chlorite, quartz, feldspars.

The concentrations of nine heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr, Co, and Pb) in soil samples of Arabian Gulf coast, Saudi Arabia, were investigated. Sediment Quality Guideline (SQGs), SQG-Quotient (SQG-Q), toxicity degree index (TDI), enrichment factor (EF), and multivariate analy- sis, including principle component analysis (PCA) and hier- archical cluster analysis (HCA), were used to measure heavy metals of concern in the study area and to identify their possible sources. The results showed that the concentrations of different heavy metals were 530–5,700 mg kg?