Saudi Arabia discovers 110 million tonnes of ore rich in rare earth minerals and uranium in Madinah

Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of an estimated 110 million tonnes of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth minerals and promising amounts of uranium in the Madinah region, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said.

The discovery was announced during the 70th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference and follows exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project.

Prince Abdulaziz said the deposits contain particularly high concentrations of heavy rare earth elements, along with significant uranium concentrations.

“Exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah have revealed estimated resources of around 110 million tonnes of ore with high concentrations of rare earth minerals, especially the heavy elements, alongside promising concentrations of uranium,” he said.

The announcement comes months after Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. The deal was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Prince Abdulaziz on July 22.

According to the US Department of Energy, the agreements establish the legal framework for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership while giving US companies greater access to Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy programme.

Cooperation gains momentum after US visit

Prince Abdulaziz said Saudi Arabia’s efforts to develop its critical minerals and nuclear sectors gained momentum following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States in November 2025.

During the visit, Riyadh and Washington expanded cooperation on critical minerals and supply chains, including a partnership between Saudi state-owned mining company Maaden and US firm MP Materials.

The visit also produced a Strategic Framework for Cooperation covering critical minerals, metals and uranium.

Under the framework, the US Department of Defense agreed to finance 49% of a planned rare earth processing plant in Saudi Arabia. Maaden is expected to retain a controlling 51% stake, while MP Materials operates the only integrated rare earth mine and processing facility in the United States.

Jabal Sayid’s strategic importance

Located around 350km northeast of Jeddah in the Madinah region, Jabal Sayid is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s most strategically important rare earth sites.

An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), citing estimates from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and Maaden, said the site could rank fourth globally.

The estimates include around 552,000 tonnes of heavy rare earth elements, including dysprosium and terbium, along with another 355,000 tonnes of light rare earths such as neodymium and praseodymium.

The site is also estimated to contain around 31,000 tonnes of uranium. The combination of rare earth and uranium resources could support Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to develop a domestic nuclear fuel cycle and potentially supply critical materials to the United States.

Separately, the Saudi Press Agency reported in November 2025 that the estimated value of Saudi Arabia’s rare earth discoveries had reached $100 billion, marking a 90% increase from 2018.

Saudi Geological Survey studies have also identified two advanced-stage exploration areas containing an estimated 644 million tonnes of mineral resources, underscoring the Kingdom’s growing push to develop its critical minerals sector.