Medina, Saudi Arabia: 110-Million-Ton Uranium-Bearing Mineral Deposit Discovered

Medina, September 15, 2026: Saudi Arabia has identified approximately 110 million tons of mineral material in the Jabal Saeed area of Medina, containing uranium along with significant quantities of heavy rare earth elements. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman made the announcement at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna. Notably, the 110 million tons refers to the total uranium-bearing mineral material, not pure uranium content.
Riyadh is linking the find to its national nuclear energy program. The minister said Saudi Arabia is working on exploring uranium resources, their economic use, and the full value chain from mining to processing and enrichment-related technology, with cooperation from French company Orano supporting the effort. The announcement comes weeks after Saudi Arabia and the US signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in July 2026.
Prince Abdulaziz stressed that the kingdom’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and is being pursued in cooperation with the international community and the IAEA, not through secret facilities. Experts note Saudi Arabia has not yet produced uranium commercially and currently has no enrichment facility, so the discovery cannot yet be equated with nuclear fuel self-sufficiency.