Saudi Arabia has discovered around 110 million tonnes of ore in the Jabal Sayid area of Medina. The ore contains rare minerals, with a particularly high concentration of heavy rare-earth elements. Promising levels of uranium have also been found alongside them.
Various media outlets reported the information Monday (September 14), citing Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
India Today reported that the ore was discovered during exploration and geological research in the Jabal Sayid area.
Arab News also reported the same information, citing bin Salman.
This uranium discovery is significant for Saudi Arabia. Under “Vision 2030,” the country is investing in reducing oil dependence and building new energy and mineral resource sectors. As part of this, initiatives on uranium extraction and civilian nuclear power generation have also been taken.
The discovery of uranium-rich ore in Medina comes at a time of intense tension across the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia itself caught up in the effects of that conflict. Iran has recently struck Saudi Arabia over the presence of US military bases there. Meanwhile, Houthi militias, once again gaining strength in Yemen, have further constricted Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea-facing shipping routes.
The Middle East’s ongoing war originated from US and Israeli strikes aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear programme. The United States and Israel claim Iran’s programme was aimed at building weapons of mass destruction. Tehran, however, has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful, civilian use.
Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, has long been investing in diversifying its energy and mineral resources. This new uranium discovery adds further weight to that effort.
Saudi Arabia and the United States had earlier signed an agreement to develop a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom. The two countries signed the deal last July alongside a bilateral security agreement, seen as laying the foundation for a “multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar partnership” between them.
Under the agreement, US companies will help develop Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy programme. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has been given the opportunity to enrich uranium on its own soil without US oversight.
With the discovery of a large quantity of uranium-rich ore in Medina, Saudi Arabia’s nuclear plans have now come back into fresh discussion.