Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday, September 14, 2026, that exploration work and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project in the Medina region had identified estimated resources of about 110 million tonnes of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth metals, along with promising indications of uranium.
Rare earth metal resources
In a speech delivered on behalf of Saudi Arabia at the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference in Vienna, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the discovered ore contained high concentrations of rare earth elements, particularly heavy elements. He said the results placed the project among the world's leading rare earth development projects.
Uranium extraction pathways
The minister said the National Atomic Energy Project was implementing a programme to explore uranium resources and assess opportunities for their economic use. The programme includes extracting uranium associated with phosphoric acid produced by the phosphate fertiliser industry in northern Saudi Arabia.
He added that pilot work carried out in cooperation with French company Orano had shown promising economic indications for extracting uranium from these processes, as part of cooperation that culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding during Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman's visit to France in August 2026.
Diversifying the energy mix
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Saudi Arabia was moving ahead with building a diverse and sustainable national energy mix that includes nuclear power, while developing its mineral resources and maximising their economic and industrial value, within a framework consistent with the kingdom's international commitments and nuclear safety, security and safeguards requirements.
