Saudi Arabia Discovers 110 Million Tonnes Of Rare Earth Minerals, Uranium-Bearing Ore In Medina

The uranium grade within the ore has not been disclosed, leaving the recoverable resource size and economics still uncertain

PGurus Newsdesk

September 15, 2026

110 million tonnes of rare earths and uranium, and one big unanswered question: how much can Saudi Arabia actually recover?

Globally, China leads in rare earth reserves while Australia holds the largest identified uranium resources

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announces the discovery at the IAEA’s Vienna conference, days after a landmark US-Saudi civil nuclear deal, though no uranium grade has yet been disclosed

Saudi Arabia has discovered an estimated 110 million tonnes of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth minerals and promising concentrations of uranium in the Madinah region, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The find comes from the Jabal Sayid project, where exploration and geological studies revealed the ore body, particularly rich in heavy rare earth elements, alongside what the minister called promising uranium concentrations.

A Discovery Without A Disclosed Grade

Prince Abdulaziz did not disclose the actual uranium grade within the mineralised material, meaning the potential scale and economics of eventually recovering the metal remain uncertain for now. Tonnage of ore alone doesn’t establish the size of a usable uranium resource — concentration, mineralogy, recovery rates and development costs would all factor into whether the deposit could ever support commercial production. Notably, the announcement describes the raw mass of ore identified, not a quantified estimate of recoverable uranium metal, which means it can’t be directly compared to Saudi Arabia’s earlier uranium resource estimates.

Part Of A Bigger Nuclear Push

The timing is notable: the discovery comes shortly after the US and Saudi Arabia signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in July, described as the foundation for a “decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership.” Under that deal, US companies will help Saudi Arabia build out its civilian nuclear energy programme, while giving Riyadh the option to enrich uranium domestically without direct US oversight — subject to the 123 Agreement, special voluntary safeguard arrangements, and IAEA monitoring. Saudi mining company Ma’aden has also partnered with US-based MP Materials to build out rare earth processing and uranium production capabilities, positioning the Jabal Sayid project among the more significant rare earth resource sites currently in development globally.

Where This Fits Globally

Rare earths and uranium are both strategically contested resources. China currently holds the world’s largest identified rare earth reserves, at roughly 44 million tonnes — about 40% of the global total — according to the US Geological Survey‘s 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries. On uranium, Australia leads with about 1.67 million tonnes of identified resources, followed by Kazakhstan and Canada. Saudi Arabia is also exploring unconventional uranium sources, including potential recovery as a byproduct of fertiliser production, as part of its broader Vision 2030 push to diversify its energy and mineral base.

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