Analysis Manufacturing UAE-US gallium project is an attempt to loosen China’s grip A new UAE-US effort to produce gallium, a chemical element that is critical to making semiconductors, may bring some relief to Western and Asian users choked by China’s stranglehold on the metal. But relevant manufacturing plants need years to come to fruition, and require technology and know-how that for the moment are almost entirely confined […] June 10, 2025
Mining UAE’s IRH to buy stake in Congo tin miner Alphamin International Resources Holding (IRH) said on Wednesday it will acquire a controlling stake in major tin producer Alphamin Resources for C$503 million ($367 million), a significant expansion into critical minerals for the Abu Dhabi-based mining company. IRH will purchase approximately 719 million shares, representing a 56 percent stake from Tremont Master Holdings at C$0.70 per share, […] June 5, 2025
Mining Oman opens its first copper recycling plant Oman has opened its first copper recycling plant in the northern industrial city of Sohar that has cost $106 million to build. It is the first such facility in the Gulf state and will recycle over 150 tonnes of copper waste annually. “We will no longer throw away copper waste or any minerals like we […] June 4, 2025
Logistics Oman and Kazakhstan set up logistics and mining companies Oman and Kazakhstan have agreed to set up two companies to widen their investment and economic ties. The agreement was signed during the visit of Oman’s Minister of Finance Sultan Al Habsi in Astana. “These two companies in logistics and mining will widen our investments and economic portfolios as we look to establish common ground […] June 3, 2025
Mining Oman creates new company to regulate mineral exports Oman has established a new company to regulate mineral exports and to unify price negotiations and standardise contracts with global buyers. Oman Minerals Trading Company, a subsidiary of the state-run Minerals Development Oman (MDO), aims to overcome challenges in the mineral market, the state-run Oman News Agency reported. These challenges, the report said, include the […] May 28, 2025
Analysis Mining Loans help reignite Oman’s ambitions in copper mining Oman was once called Magan – 3,000 years ago when Mesopotamian texts told of a land rich in copper deposits. Now the country is revitalising its ancient metal mining industry as it seeks alternative sources of wealth to its dwindling exports of hydrocarbons and jobs for its growing number of young nationals. A subsidiary of […] May 21, 2025
Analysis Mining Turkey keen to cash in on rare earth potential Turkey plans to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of rare earths, seeking to parlay its extensive reserves into a position of international strength by investing in extraction and processing while also looking to develop downstream industries. In 2022 Ankara identified a massive mineral deposit in the central Turkish province of Eskişehir containing 10 […] May 9, 2025
Mining Guinea ‘to pull EGA’s licence over alumina refinery row’ The Guinean government’s move to revoke Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) mining licence stemmed from the company’s failure to fulfil its commitment to construct an alumina refinery, sources have told Reuters. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Guinea has launched a process to revoke the EGA licence, escalating a dispute that began in October with the suspension […] May 9, 2025
Mining Ma’aden’s profit up by half as commodity prices rise Earnings at Ma’aden, the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, surged by more than half in the first quarter of 2025, supported by growing sales and higher prices. Net profit for the quarter rose 58 percent year on year to SAR1.5 billion ($400 million), the company said in a filing to the Saudi stock exchange. Higher share […] May 7, 2025
Economy Algeria creates agency to promote non-oil exports Algeria is to create an export promotion agency to push non-oil international sales as the oil and gas producer faces plunging petroleum prices. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune revealed the plan during a meeting with national business leaders in the capital Algiers last week. Tebboune said the export promotion agency would be set up next month […] April 15, 2025
Mining Ma’aden seeks foreign partner for rare earth processing Saudi Arabia’s flagship mining company Ma’aden is considering choosing at least one of four foreign companies to form a rare earths processing partnership, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, as the kingdom bids to become a global critical minerals hub. Ma’aden is weighing a partnership with US-based MP Materials, China’s Shenghe Resources, Australia’s Lynas […] April 8, 2025
Mining Oman-backed Kazakh gold miner explores GCC funding Kazakh gold miner Solidcore is considering issuing bonds in the Gulf region to finance investment, including in new projects in Kazakhstan estimated to cost up to $350 million, the company’s CEO Vitaly Nesis told Reuters. Solidcore, formerly Polymetal International, is the second-largest gold miner in Kazakhstan. The company had to sell its Russian assets, which represented […] April 2, 2025
Analysis Mining Tech may find Saudi Arabia’s mineral wealth but mining will take years The rocky hills of western Saudi Arabia hide huge wealth, prospectors insist. The crags and crevices are part of the Arabian-Nubian Shield, an exposed Precambrian rock formation which runs from the west of the kingdom across the Red Sea to eastern Egypt and Sudan. The government estimates total mineral wealth at $2.5 trillion, more than […] April 1, 2025
Mining MDO expands Oman’s mining assets Minerals Development Oman (MDO) is moving ahead with mining projects to exploit the sultanate’s reserves of titanium, copper, chromite and dolomite, according to the state-owned company’s annual report. Nearly 30 percent of engineering work has been completed at the Mazoon Copper project, which was launched last year, the company said in the 2024 report. Tenders […] March 31, 2025
Trade Gold hits record high over trade war fears Gold prices scaled a record peak on Friday as concerns over US President Donald Trump’s fresh tariff plans ignited fears of a global trade war, driving a rush towards the safe-haven allure of the precious metal. Spot gold climbed 0.6 percent to $3,073.79 an ounce, as of 02:30 GMT, after hitting an all-time high of $3,077.44 earlier in […] March 28, 2025
Mining Gulf investors in talks to buy stake in US copper project Middle East investors are in talks with HudBay Minerals to buy a stake of as much as 30 percent in the Canadian company’s US copper project, a news report said. The stake sale in HudBay Mineral’s flagship Copper World project in Arizona has drawn interest from investors in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Japan, Bloomberg […] March 21, 2025
Mining Saudi Arabia grants licences for first mineral sites Saudi Arabia has awarded the first exploration licences for mineralised belts at Jabal Sayid, northeast of Jeddah, and Al-Hijar in the south of the kingdom. The two sites, covering a total of 4,788 sq km, will speed up the exploration of mineral resources with an estimated worth of SAR9 trillion ($2.4 trillion), the ministry said […] March 19, 2025
Mining Ma’aden to invest billions after profit surge The Saudi state mining company Ma’aden is looking to invest between SAR8.6 billion and SAR10.6 billion ($2.3 billion to $2.8 billion) this year as profits bounce back after a three-year low. It announced an 82 percent year-on-year increase in profits for 2024 to reach SAR2.87 billion, according to a disclosure made to the Saudi Stock […] March 7, 2025
Mining Saudi Arabia turns to recycling to enhance mineral recovery As part of its push to make mineral mining a pillar of its otherwise hydrocarbon-dominated economy, Saudi Arabia is investigating how to increase extraction by recycling mining waste. This is providing a valuable opportunity for local startups and US technology companies. Since the start of the year, several startups in the critical minerals and rare […] February 28, 2025
Mining UAE’s Ambrosia pays $500m to Allied Gold for Mali mine UAE fund Ambrosia Investment Holding has bought a 50 percent stake in a mine in the African state of Mali from Toronto-listed Allied Gold. Ambrosia Investment Holding, a newly formed investment fund chaired by Ahmed Amer Al Amry, agreed to invest about $500 million in Allied Gold, including $375 million for the stake in its […] February 26, 2025
Mining Ma’aden aims to be world’s most valuable mining company Saudi Arabia’s majority state-owned Ma’aden aims to grow ten-fold by 2040 to become the world’s most valuable mining company by market capitalisation, its CEO said. The country is accelerating development of its copper and other mineral resources, estimated to be worth as much as $2.5 trillion. “I can tell you, the minerals are here,” Ma’aden […] February 12, 2025
Analysis Industry Gulf aluminium supplies to US to continue despite tariffs Short-term supplies of aluminium from the Gulf to the US are set to continue despite new tariffs planned by President Trump, according to experts. The new US president announced tariffs of 25 percent on all supplies of aluminium into the US on Sunday. In 2024 the Gulf made up over 16 percent of US aluminium […] February 11, 2025
