Saudi Arabia announces 110 million-tonne rare-earth and uranium deposit amid deepening US partnership
Saudi Arabia said its Jabal Sayid project in Madinah holds about 110 million tonnes of ore rich in rare earths and uranium, a find that could boost its critical-minerals and nuclear ambitions.
At the International Atomic Energy Agency conference, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman revealed that exploration at the Jabal Sayid project in the Madinah region has identified roughly 110 million tonnes of ore containing significant heavy rare earths and uranium. The site, already operating as a copper joint venture between Ma'aden and Barrick Mining, is assessed by CSIS as the world’s fourth-largest rare-earth resource, with estimates of 552,000 tonnes of heavy and 355,000 tonnes of light rare earths, plus 31,000 tonnes of uranium.
The announcement comes after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2025 visit to Washington, which produced a strategic minerals cooperation framework and a partnership between Ma'aden and US producer MP Materials, with the US Department of Defense funding 49 % of a new processing plant. Saudi officials also said they are pursuing uranium recovery from phosphate fertilizer production with French firm Orano and continuing surveys for additional deposits. The broader plan aims to build a complete domestic value chain—from mining to processing and yellowcake production—to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on hydrocarbons.
Why it matters
The find could reshape global supply chains for critical minerals and support Saudi Arabia’s move toward nuclear energy and economic diversification.
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