Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing raw material in the Medina region, a development the kingdom is linking to its plans to build a domestic nuclear energy industry. The announcement was made on Monday by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference in Vienna, according to Saudi state television.
Geological studies identified elevated uranium concentrations in the Medina region. Saudi Arabia is also assessing how much uranium could be recovered as a byproduct of its large phosphate industry.
The figure does not mean the kingdom has found 110 million tonnes of uranium itself. The amount that could ultimately be recovered will depend on ore grade, geology and the economics of extraction. The IAEA has likewise cautioned that identified uranium occurrences do not automatically translate into commercially recoverable resources.
Even so, the discovery is significant in the context of Saudi Arabia’s broader energy strategy. Riyadh is moving ahead with plans to add nuclear power to its energy mix and develop a domestic nuclear sector.
In July, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement that set the legal framework for American companies to supply nuclear technology and equipment to the kingdom. The U.S. Department of Energy described the deal as the basis for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar nuclear partnership.
According to the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the IAEA, Saudi Arabia currently produces no uranium and has historically had no domestic uranium enrichment industry. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom’s nuclear ambitions are exclusively peaceful and will be pursued transparently in cooperation with the IAEA.
The announcement also underlines Riyadh’s wider effort to turn mineral resources into another pillar of the economy. Saudi Arabia is already the world’s second-largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers and is increasingly targeting critical minerals and rare earths. Over time, domestic uranium resources could become another part of that strategy by helping supply fuel for future Saudi nuclear reactors.
