Saudi Arabia Uncovers 110 Million Tonnes of Uranium Ore in Landmark Madinah Discovery

Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of 110 million tonnes of ore containing uranium in the Madinah region, marking one of the most significant rare earth finds globally. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman revealed the milestone during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on Tuesday, highlighting it as a major step in the kingdom's efforts to expand investments in its energy and mining sectors.

Speaking to the conference, Prince Abdulaziz stated that exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project in the Madinah region uncovered ore with high concentrations of heavy rare earth elements alongside promising levels of uranium. The minister emphasized that this discovery positions the project among the most prominent rare earth mineral resource sites currently under development worldwide.

As the largest Arab economy, Saudi Arabia continues to invest in diversifying its energy and mineral resources through domestic capacity building and international partnerships, according to reports by Al Arabiya TV. This significant announcement follows a recent US-Saudi deal for a civilian nuclear programme. In July, the two nations signed this pact alongside a bilateral protection agreement, establishing the foundation for a long-term, multi-billion-dollar partnership aimed at boosting commercial relations and regional security, as noted by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Negotiations for the US-Saudi nuclear co-operation deal spanned years, designed to grant the kingdom access to US technology while enabling American companies to compete for major contracts at Saudi nuclear energy sites. A key provision of the agreement involves a study that could potentially lead to US companies constructing a uranium enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Advancing the mining sector remains a core pillar of Saudi Arabia's economic diversification agenda. Prince Abdulaziz noted that these ongoing investments received further momentum following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the US in November last year. During that visit, the two nations signed a co-operation framework for minerals and supply chain security, paving the way for a partnership between Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden and the US-based MP Materials to develop rare earth processing capabilities and produce associated uranium.

Concluding his remarks, Prince Abdulaziz stated that the kingdom will continue its efforts through the sedimentary cover survey initiative to explore additional conventional sources of uranium ore.