Saudi Arabia is accelerating its ambitions to become a global mining hub, combining major new gold resource discoveries with a sweeping policy and infrastructure push aimed at unlocking an estimated $2.5tn in mineral wealth.
The Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Maaden, announced in mid-January that it has added approximately 7.8mn ounces of gold resources across four key sites in the Kingdom, underscoring the scale of geological potential emerging from intensified exploration efforts.
The additions follow extensive drilling campaigns that initially identified more than 9mn ounces of gold, later adjusted to reflect technical factors such as cost assumptions and long-term price estimates. External experts validated the updated mineral resource estimates, according to disclosures to the Saudi stock exchange.
The bulk of the increase came from targeted drilling at existing operations and early-stage prospects. The Mansourah–Massarah mines recorded a net year-on-year increase of around 3mn ounces, while the Uruq 20/21 and Umm As Salam prospects added a combined 1.67mn ounces. A further 3.08mn ounces were reported at Wadi Al Jaww, marking the site’s maiden resource estimate.
Beyond gold, advanced drilling across the Central Arabian Gold Region identified new mineralised zones, while near-mine drilling at the historic Mahd gold mine extended its potential resource envelope. Early-stage exploration at Jabal Shayban and Jabal Al Wakil also revealed promising copper, nickel and platinum mineralisation, pointing to broader base-metal potential.
Analysts say the discoveries strengthen Saudi Arabia’s standing in global precious-metals production and reinforce mining’s role as a pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
The discoveries coincide with a broader policy drive unveiled days later at the fifth Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. Speaking at the opening of the conference, Bandar AlKhorayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources, said the Kingdom was working to enhance its strategic position in global mining by launching large-scale exploration initiatives and creating a more attractive investment environment for local and international companies.
Mining, he said, was no longer a traditional economic activity but a sector central to the future of energy, technology and industry. Critical minerals, in particular, were indispensable for clean energy systems and artificial intelligence, making resilient and responsible value chains a global necessity rather than a choice.
Saudi Arabia, he added, is seeking to unlock its estimated $2.5tn mineral endowment through competitive licensing rounds, infrastructure development and the adoption of advanced exploration technologies.
A cornerstone of the strategy is the newly launched Mining Infrastructure Enablement Initiative. Its first flagship project is a 75-km treated-water pipeline to support mining developments in the Jabal Sayid region, addressing one of the sector’s most persistent bottlenecks and lowering costs for investors.
To date, more than 30,000 sq km of land has been offered through competitive exploration rounds. The ninth licensing round alone awarded 172 mining sites to 24 companies and consortia, making it the largest round so far. Exploration spending has increased more than fivefold since 2020, a trend officials cite as evidence of rising investor confidence.
The Kingdom has also completed 100% of geophysical and geochemical surveys of the Arabian Shield, creating a comprehensive geological database designed to reduce exploration risk and shift the sector from traditional prospecting to data-driven discovery.
One early example of the strategy in action is the Al-Khunayqiyah mine, launched around four years ago. Exploration has now been completed, final mining licences issued and operations awarded to a Saudi-foreign partnership, enabling domestic production of copper and zinc while retaining international expertise.
Officials say further exceptional exploration rounds are planned for 2026 and 2027, with a near-term focus on refining resource understanding and identifying high-potential investment opportunities before full project development.
Together, Maaden’s latest discoveries and the government’s policy initiatives illustrate a coordinated effort to position mining alongside energy and manufacturing as a core engine of growth. While execution risks remain — from commodity price volatility to infrastructure delivery — the scale and pace of recent developments signal that Saudi Arabia intends to play a far larger role in global minerals markets in the years ahead.
