Saudi Arabia’s state-owned mining company, Maaden, has announced significant new gold resource additions totalling 7.8 million ounces across four key locations in the Kingdom.
According to the company, the expanded resources cover its major assets at Mansourah Massarah, Uruq 20/21, Umm As Salam, and the newly identified Wadi Al Jaww discovery. The largest year-on-year increase was recorded at Mansourah Massarah, which added three million ounces. This was followed by a combined 1.67 million ounces from Uruq 20/21 and Umm As Salam, while Wadi Al Jaww contributed a maiden resource of 3.08 million ounces.
Maaden said the growth was driven by focused drilling programmes that initially outlined more than nine million ounces of gold before standard annual reporting adjustments were applied.
Commenting on the development, Maaden Chief Executive Officer Bob Wilt said the results validate the company’s long-term strategy to unlock Saudi Arabia’s mineral potential and strengthen its standing as a global mining player.
The company’s 2026 exploration programme has been largely concentrated on the Central Arabian Gold Region, where advanced drilling has identified new mineralised zones and possible mine extensions. In addition, near-mine exploration at the historic Mahd gold site has revealed extensions that will be assessed for potential life-of-mine expansion.
Wilt said the latest discoveries also support Maaden’s broader diversification strategy. “The results underline the strength of the company’s wider pipeline,” he said, adding that findings at Shayban and Jabal Al Wakil point to a much larger opportunity across the Kingdom and reinforce the company’s ambition to build a strong multi-commodity portfolio alongside its expanding gold business.
Maaden’s flagship Mansourah Massarah project now hosts an estimated 116 million tonnes of ore grading 2.8 grams per tonne of gold, equivalent to a total resource of 10.4 million ounces. Recent drilling has increased the resource base by a net three million ounces year-on-year, following gross additions of 4.2 million ounces.
The company noted that mineralisation remains open at depth at both the Mansourah and Massarah deposits, highlighting strong potential for further discoveries. Drilling activities are expected to continue through 2026, with additional updates planned as Maaden advances its geological understanding of the area.
