The Aporia
The Aporia
Clowes, E. (2026, September 17). Saudi Arabia's well-timed uranium find near Medina. Semafor. https://www.semafor.com/article/09/17/2026/saudi-arabias-well-timed-uranium-find-near-medina
Clowes, Ed. “Saudi Arabia's well-timed uranium find near Medina.” Semafor, 17 Sept. 2026, https://www.semafor.com/article/09/17/2026/saudi-arabias-well-timed-uranium-find-near-medina.
Clowes, Ed. “Saudi Arabia's well-timed uranium find near Medina.” Semafor, September 17, 2026. https://www.semafor.com/article/09/17/2026/saudi-arabias-well-timed-uranium-find-near-medina.
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On July 22, the US and Saudi Arabia finalized a deal allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium. Fifty-four days later, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced an estimated discovery of 110 million tonnes of ore with "promising concentrations of uranium" near Medina. The minister did not specify when the deposit was actually found. Despite uranium being more abundant than gold, its actual value depends on factors like concentration, grade, and recovery rate. Chinese geologists have surveyed potential sites in Saudi Arabia, and Beijing reportedly assisted in building a facility to extract yellowcake from ore. Given that Saudi Arabia has an estimated $2.5 trillion in untapped mineral wealth but had never officially sized a uranium deposit before, the recent discovery is noteworthy as it comes after securing approval from the US for its civil nuclear ambitions.
