Saudi Arabia touts mineralized uranium, rare earths find

Saudi Arabia has identified an estimated 110 million tonnes of mineralized material containing rare earths and uranium in the Medina region as the kingdom moves to develop nuclear power and expand its domestic mineral resources.

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced the estimate Monday at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 70th General Conference in Vienna, saying Saudi Arabia is continuing uranium exploration while examining recovery of the metal from phosphoric acid produced during fertilizer manufacturing.

“Exploration and geological studies 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 said, according to Arab News.

The announcement adds a potentially important domestic source of uranium as Saudi Arabia seeks to introduce nuclear generation into an energy system historically dominated by oil and natural gas. Reuters separately described the find as 110 million tonnes of “raw materials” containing uranium concentrations.

Grade unclear

Prince Abdulaziz didn’t disclose the uranium grade in the mineralized material or provide an estimate of contained uranium, leaving the potential scale and economics of recovering the radioactive metal uncertain.

The tonnage of mineralized material alone doesn’t establish the size of a uranium resource. Concentration, mineralogy, recovery rates and development costs would help determine whether the material could eventually support commercial production.

Saudi Arabia is also examining unconventional uranium sources. Research published in 2024 estimated that 447 to 596 tonnes of natural uranium could theoretically have been recovered from the kingdom’s 2021 phosphoric acid production using existing technologies.

Nuclear option

The discovery comes as Riyadh deepens nuclear cooperation with Washington and broadens its mining and energy ties with Canada. In July, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement laying the groundwork for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership and giving U.S. companies greater access to the Saudi nuclear program. The agreement allows Saudi Arabia to pursue uranium enrichment as it develops nuclear power.

The same month, Mark Carney became the first Canadian prime minister to visit Saudi Arabia in 26 years. The two countries signed more than $1.4 billion (US$704 million) in commercial agreements while agreeing to deepen cooperation across mining, critical minerals and energy.

Saudi Arabia’s latest exploration results could eventually give the kingdom another piece of the uranium cycle, although the lack of disclosed grades means it’s too early to determine whether the Medina find could provide an economic domestic supply.