Sulfur is available in sufficient quantities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, primarily as a byproduct of oil extraction and refining processes. Additionally, native sulfur is found associated with gypsum and anhydrite sequences in Wadi Kabreet along the Gulf of Aqaba. It is also present in the al-Bad' and Magna regions within the coastal sedimentary rock formations. Sulfur is also found in ar-Raka area in al-Quway'iyyah within Paleozoic cover rocks. Additionally, sulfur can be extracted from massive pyrite deposits located in Wadi Wasit in the Najran Province.
Sulfur in its free form is found around volcanic craters and hot springs. Most often, it is combined with other elements, primarily oxygen, and can exist as sulfates or sulfides. Large and economically significant sulfur deposits are found in sedimentary rocks, associated with gypsum, anhydrite, and limestone deposits.
Saudi Aramco produces sulfur, with the daily sulfur production from the SASREF refinery capable of fertilizing more than 120 km of cornfields.
In April 2024, Saudi Aramco awarded engineering, procurement, and construction contracts worth USD7.7 billion for a major expansion of its Fadhili Gas Plant in the Eastern Province. Among the additions from the expansion, expected to be completed by November 2027, is approximately 2,300 additional metric t of sulfur production per day.
Sulfur is a non-metallic mineral characterized by its bright yellow color. It is brittle, lightweight, insoluble in water, and also insoluble in most acids.
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