Saudi Arabia announces discovery of rare earth minerals and uranium

On Monday, Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman disclosed the discovery of approximately 114 million tons of ore rich in rare earth minerals and potential uranium deposits at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah. At the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, he informed that Saudi Arabia's national atomic energy project is currently investigating uranium resources for economic exploitation.

He emphasized key measures, such as the extraction of uranium from phosphoric acid through a fertilizer production partnership with France's Orano, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed during Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's visit to France last August.

Prince Abdulaziz highlighted that these reserves place Jabal Sayid among the top rare earth development locations globally. The project gained further impetus after Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's visit to the United States in November 2025, which resulted in a critical minerals framework agreement and a collaboration between Saudi mining conglomerate Ma'aden and US-based MP Materials. This partnership aims to process rare earth elements and uranium.

The Minister explained that Saudi Arabia is pursuing the development of its mineral resources as part of a wider strategy to diversify the economy and enhance the Kingdom's standing in global critical-minerals supply chains. The extraction of rare earth and uranium resources is anticipated to bolster domestic industrial capabilities and create avenues for international investment and technology collaborations.