Where do Arabs stand in the gold race? Here are the top Arab producing countries

SadaNews - As gold continues to shatter records, surpassing $4,300 an ounce amid escalating trade disputes between the United States and China, and growing expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts, the gains for the yellow metal are reinforced, especially as experts predict this upward trend will continue in the coming years.

Gold mining is a global business conducted on every continent except Antarctica, extracted from mines of various types and scales on a wide scale.

At the country level, China was the largest global producer in 2024, with a share of about 10% of total global production amounting to 380.2 tons, followed by Russia with 330 tons, according to the World Gold Council.

In this report, Al Jazeera answers the question: Where do Arabs stand in the international gold race and what are the top Arab countries in production?

Top 6 Arab Countries in Gold Production

1- Sudan

Sudan is currently the leading Arab producer of gold, with mining operations concentrated in the Nile River, North, and Red Sea states, which form the backbone of precious metal production in the country.

According to a report titled "Gold and the War in Sudan" prepared by Chatham House, the gold trade is closely linked to the ongoing conflict in Sudan and is one of the most important sources of funding for the war since it erupted in 2023.

The value of the gold trade is estimated in billions of dollars annually, fueling a complex network of local and regional actors, including armed groups, traders, and smugglers.

According to the previous report, Sudan's official gold production exceeded 80 tons annually before the war but declined sharply at the onset of the conflict to about 2 tons between April and August 2023, five months into the war, before rising again to 73.8 tons in 2024, according to World Gold Council data.

The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company announced that the country produced 37.3 tons of gold during the first half of 2025, a significant increase compared to recent years, despite the ongoing war and its economic and social repercussions.

Production is primarily concentrated in the Nile River, North, and Red Sea states, while new offices for the company are currently being opened in South Kordofan, bringing the number of gold-producing states to seven, although this number is still lower than the pre-war period when gold production occurred in 14 states, according to the DIVAN Centre for Research.

Reports from the International Political Studies Institute (ISPI) and Chatham House indicate that a large part of the production is not officially recorded due to smuggling and unregulated mining, making official numbers lower than the actual reality.

2- Mauritania

Mauritania produced 21.9 tons of gold in 2024, according to the World Gold Council.

The Tasiast Gold Mine is one of the largest gold mines in Africa, with reserves exceeding 220 tons. The mine began operations in 2007 when a Canadian company obtained an exploitation license from the Mauritanian government.

3- Egypt

Gold deposits are widespread in the eastern Egyptian desert, which has historically been a central hub for exploration and mining activities due to its wealth of precious minerals. This area is part of the Arabian Nubian Shield that stretches across northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, making it one of the richest regions in gold worldwide.

The Sukari mine is the largest and most important gold mining site in Egypt, covering an area of approximately 160 square kilometers in the eastern desert of Egypt. Modern mining operations began there in 2009, while commercial production launched in April 2010, establishing the mine as the cornerstone of the Egyptian gold industry.

In 2023, Sukari produced approximately 450,058 ounces of gold (about 14 tons) before AngloGold Ashanti took over, with the company announcing in November 2024 its complete acquisition of Centamin, the previous owner of the mine, in a deal worth $2.5 billion, granting AngloGold full control over the Sukari mine, which is considered one of the largest and richest gold mines in the world, according to Reuters.

AngloGold Ashanti Limited is one of the largest gold mining companies in the world, with a wide presence and exploration activities in 10 countries across four continents, headquartered in South Africa.

4- Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has a large underground gold reserve, estimated at around 323.7 tons according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Gold production in the kingdom has been on a consecutive rise since the launch of Vision 2030, which focused on developing the mining sector. The sector is expected to see greater growth in the coming years, especially after the allocation of several mining reserve sites for exploration based on geological studies in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has six gold mines, with total production in 2020 amounting to approximately 434,845 ounces (about 13.5 metric tons). Notable among these mines are the Al-Duwaihi mine in Mecca and the Mahd ad Dahab mine in Medina according to the previous source.

According to a report from Mining Technology based on data from Global Data, Saudi Arabia ranked as the 27th largest producer globally in 2023, with production expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 6% between 2023 and 2027.

5- Morocco

Morocco has taken a decisive step toward joining the ranks of major gold producers in Africa after confirming the existence of high-quality deposits in the city of Guelmim in the south of the country.

The mining company OLAH Palace Trading announced this significant discovery, identifying 34 veins of quartz containing gold concentrations reaching 30 grams per ton, a level classified as excellent by international standards according to the Energy Circle platform.

Initial estimates suggest that the mine's reserves range between 3 and 5 million ounces of gold, representing a potential to reshape the mining industry's map in Morocco and enhance its position within the growing African resource market.

Before this discovery, gold production had been limited for decades to a small mine in the Tiouit area of the Tinghir region.

According to data from the OECD for 2023, cited by the Energy Circle platform, Morocco's gold exports reached approximately $27.7 million, a modest value compared to leading African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.

The current annual production is estimated at just over 100 kilograms, representing a marginal percentage of regional production according to the previous source.

For its part, CEIC Data reported that Morocco's gold production reached 140 kilograms in 2022.

6- Algeria

Algeria's gold production reached 100 kilograms in 2023, according to the Global Economy platform. Overall, Algeria's average annual gold production from 2001 to 2022 was about 250 kilograms, according to CEIC Data.

Algeria's gold reserves stood at 173.56 tons in the second quarter of 2025 according to Trading Economics.

Source: Al Jazeera