Saudi Arabia Mining Investment just announced a $110 billion investment in mining.
Not oil. Not gas. Mining.
Gold. Copper. Lithium. Rare earth elements.
They’re calling it the third pillar of the Saudi economy. After oil and petrochemicals, mining is now pillar number three.
Why is Saudi Arabia betting this big on metals? Let me explain.
Table of Contents
The January 2026 Announcement
In January 2026, Ma’aden, Saudi Arabia’s national mining company, announced something that didn’t make global headlines.
They discovered eight million ounces of new gold reserves.
That’s the largest gold discovery in Saudi Arabia’s history.
Same month, Ma’aden’s CEO Bob Wilt confirmed a hundred and ten billion dollar investment plan over the next decade.
The goal? Triple phosphate production. Double aluminum. Triple gold. And become one of the largest mining companies in the world.
So the question is: why is Saudi suddenly going all-in on this Saudi Arabia mining investment?
Source: MINING.COM
What Existed Before
Most people don’t know this about Saudi Arabia.
The country lies atop the Arabian Shield. A geological formation that covers six hundred seventy thousand square kilometres.
It contains an estimated $2.5 trillion worth of untapped minerals: gold, copper, zinc, phosphate, bauxite, and rare earth elements.
For decades, nobody cared. Oil was enough.
But in 2016, Vision 2030 was announced. The goal was clear: diversify the economy beyond oil.
At the time, mining contributed less than one per cent of Saudi GDP.
Now? It’s being positioned as the third pillar through this massive Saudi Arabian mining investment.
Ma’aden’s Evolution
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Ma’aden founded |
| 2016 | Vision 2030 announced |
| 2023 | PIF takes majority control |
| 2025 | Exploration spending: $146M (up from $21M in 2022) |
| 2026 | $110B investment plan announced |
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The $110 Billion Investment Breakdown
Let me break down where the hundred and ten billion dollars is going.
Gold
In January 2026, Ma’aden announced they added 7.8 million ounces of new gold resources.
That’s across four key areas:
- Mansourah Massarah mine
- Uruq and Umm As Salam
- Wadi Al Jaww (new discovery)
- Ar Rjum mine (3.6 million ounces over 12 years)
| Gold Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| New resources discovered | 7.8 million oz |
| Current annual production | 500,000 oz |
| Target by 2030 | 1+ million oz |
Copper and Critical Minerals
Saudi Arabia isn’t just chasing gold. The bigger play is critical minerals for the electric vehicle revolution.
Ma’aden acquired 10% of Vale Base Metals for $2.5 billion. This gives them access to nickel, copper, and cobalt, all essential for EV batteries.
Rare Earths
This is where the Saudi Arabia mining investment gets strategic.
Ma’aden signed a partnership with MP Materials, a U.S. company backed by the Department of Defense.
The goal? Build a rare earth processing facility in Saudi Arabia.
Why does this matter? China currently controls 90% of global rare earth processing. Western countries want alternatives. Saudi is positioning itself as that alternative.
Aluminum and Phosphate
- Aluminum: Ma’aden is acquiring full ownership of its aluminum subsidiaries from Alcoa. Goal: double production capacity.
- Phosphate: Currently produces 7 million tonnes annually. Goal: triple production.
Why Now?
Three reasons explain the timing of this Saudi Arabia mining investment.
1. Oil Prices Dropped
Back in 2022, oil prices were around $100 per barrel. Today they’re around $70. That’s a 30% drop.
When oil revenue is lower, Saudi needs other income sources.
2. The World Needs These Metals
The International Energy Agency projects critical minerals production must increase 6x by 2040 to meet Paris Agreement targets.
Electric vehicles require 4-10x more minerals than conventional cars.
One statistic I found striking: the next 25 years will need more copper than all of human history combined.
3. Supply Chain Realignment
Western countries are actively looking to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals.
In November 2025, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Framework Agreement covering uranium, metals, permanent magnets, and critical minerals supply chains.
Saudi is positioning itself as a Western-aligned alternative supplier.
What This Means for Investors
Ma’aden trades on Tadawul under ticker 1211.
The company is majority owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), but shares are accessible to retail investors, especially now that Saudi opened its market to all foreign investors in February 2026.
| Ma’aden Stats | Number |
|---|---|
| Tadawul ticker | 1211 |
| PIF ownership | Majority |
| $110B investment timeline | 10 years |
| Megaprojects planned | 8 |
For those tracking the Saudi market, this Saudi Arabia mining investment represents one of the clearest examples of Vision 2030 execution.
The Execution Challenge
Announcements are one thing. Execution is another.
Saudi Arabia has a history of ambitious plans. Not all of them materialise on schedule.
But the mining sector has some advantages:
- Real discoveries: 8 million ounces of gold is tangible, not theoretical
- Existing infrastructure: Ma’aden has been operating mines for decades
- Strategic partnerships: Vale, MP Materials, and others bring expertise
- PIF backing: Capital isn’t the constraint
The increase in exploration spending tells you they’re serious. From $21 million in 2022 to $146 million in 2025. That’s a 7x increase in three years.
The Bigger Picture
This Saudi Arabia mining investment is about more than gold and copper.
It’s about building a post-oil economy while oil revenue is still available to fund the transition.
Mining as the third pillar means:
- Diversified revenue streams
- Jobs in new sectors
- Integration into global supply chains
- Strategic positioning in the energy transition
The metals in the Arabian Shield have been there for millions of years. The question was never about resources. It was about will.
That will now exists. The capital is deployed. The partnerships are signed. The discoveries are real.
Whether Saudi can execute at the scale they’ve announced remains to be seen. But the infrastructure for a mining transformation is being built.
The Takeaway
Saudi Arabia announced $110 billion in mining investment over the next decade.
In January 2026, they discovered 8 million ounces of gold, the largest in the country’s history.
They’re building partnerships for copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths, positioning themselves as an alternative to China in critical mineral supply chains.
Mining is now the third pillar of the Saudi economy, alongside oil and petrochemicals.
For investors, Ma’aden (ticker 1211) is the primary vehicle to access this transformation on Tadawul.
The Saudi Arabia mining investment isn’t just diversification talk. It’s execution.
This article is based on my video essay. Watch the full breakdown on Ideas at Desk on YouTube.
