What Are the Most Prominent Minerals in the Kingdom?

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is regarded as one of the wealthiest countries in terms of mineral resources. It ranks thirteenth globally for the abundance and diversity of minerals it possesses, including phosphate, gold, copper, zinc, iron ore, uranium, niobium, silver, feldspar, bauxite, silica, limestone, and more.

The Kingdom produces minerals that contribute to the development of value chains, including metallic minerals such as iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, and gold, as well as non-metallic minerals such as phosphate fertilizers, cement, glass, and ceramics. Forty-eight types of minerals have been identified, spread over more than 5,300 sites, with an estimated value of SAR5 trillion.

The Kingdom also annually produces approximately 4.9 million t of bauxite, which is then processed to yield one million t of aluminum. It ranks among the top five producers of phosphate fertilizers, generating 24.6 million t of phosphate ore annually. This ore is processed to produce 5.26 million t of phosphate fertilizers annually. Additionally, it produces 68,000 tons annually of copper and zinc concentrates. The mines situated in the Arabian Shield region are abundant in both basic and precious minerals, yielding 409,000 oz. of gold annually.