Saudi Arabia has discovered an estimated 110 million tonnes of ore containing promising concentrations of uranium and high concentrations of rare earth elements.
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced the discovery while attending the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna this week, as Reuters reports.
“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,” Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the conference.
Jabal Sayid, located about 350 km northeast of Jeddah in the Madinah region, is already known to contain significant rare earth deposits.
According to an analysis by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, citing estimates from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and state miner Maaden, the site is believed to rank fourth globally, with about 552,000 tonnes of heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, as well as a further 355,000 tonnes of light rare earths including neodymium and praseodymium.
The analysis estimates that the co-located uranium resource stands at about 31,000 tonnes. It said the combination could position Saudi Arabia to develop its own nuclear fuel cycle while potentially exporting material to the US.
Saudi-US energy rapprochement
The disclosure comes months after Washington and Riyadh formalised civil nuclear cooperation through an agreement signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on July 22.
The US Department of Energy said the agreements provide the legal foundation for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership and give US companies greater access to Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy program.
The minister said efforts to develop the resources had accelerated following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s November 2025 visit to the US, when the two countries deepened cooperation on critical minerals and supply chains.
The visit resulted in a partnership between Maaden and US company MP Materials, as well as a Strategic Framework for Cooperation on critical minerals, metals and uranium.
Under the framework, the US Department of Defence agreed to finance 49 per cent of a new rare earth processing plant in Saudi Arabia, while Maaden will hold a controlling 51 per cent stake alongside MP Materials, which operates the only rare earth mine and processing plant in the US.
By Nazrin Sadigova
