‘Saudi Desalination’: Chinese Plants for Brine Mining Operational by 2026

One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

‘Saudi Desalination’: Chinese Plants for Brine Mining Operational by 2026

One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The General Manager of Commercial Services at the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Eng. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, announced the start of operations for two new Chinese plants at the Ras Al Khair station in eastern Saudi Arabia.

These plants will focus on utilizing brine water and extracting minerals, with operations beginning in the first quarter of 2026.

The SWCC has made agreements with local and international companies to develop investment opportunities in brine mining.

These agreements were disclosed during the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh last week.

As part of these agreements, two plants will be established in collaboration with Chinese partners in Ras Al Khair, targeting the extraction of essential minerals and salts from brine water, contributing to the circular economy outlined in “Vision 2030.”

Brine water, a byproduct of seawater desalination, contains high levels of salts and minerals like sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, bromine, and others.

This approach helps reduce waste from seawater desalination and lessens reliance on mineral imports.

Al-Ghamdi emphasized the importance of brine water due to its high salt content.

He highlighted that extracting minerals and essential elements from it for the market is cost-effective and energy-efficient, presenting significant economic opportunities given the abundance of these waters.

Al-Ghamdi shared that investments in brine mining are projected to reach about SAR 8 billion ($2.1 billion dollars) by 2030, boosting the local economy.

He pointed out upcoming efforts to extract essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, and high-purity sodium chloride. These minerals are vital for diverse industries in the Kingdom.

Al-Ghamdi confirmed that the new plants will help produce elements like sodium and bromine within the Kingdom, reducing the need for imports

The goal is to meet 25%- 40% of the local market demand by 2030.



Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
TT
20

Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Gold prices breached the crucial $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fueled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors rushing toward safe-haven assets.
Spot gold was up 0.6% at $3,192.79 an ounce, as of 0555 GMT. Bullion scaled an all-time peak of $3,219.84 earlier in the session, and has gained around 5% this week.
US gold futures climbed nearly 2% to $3,237.50, Reuters reported.
"The rapid weakening of the US dollar seems to be the main driver of gold's rebound at the moment. That seems to reflect an ongoing exodus from USD-based assets, with stocks and bonds' selloff amid tariff policy uncertainty," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.
The dollar was down nearly 1% against its major peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers. Major stock indexes also fell after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, but hit a 90-day pause on previously announced tariffs for dozens of countries.
China has been matching Trump's tariff hikes, sparking fears that Beijing could push duties on the US beyond the current 84%.
"$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at. I suspect we won't get there immediately or without bumps along the way," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Apart from tariffs, central bank demand, expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds also fueled the metal's rally this year.
US consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March but inflation risks are tilted to the upside, data showed.
Traders now bet that the Fed will resume cutting rates in June and probably reduce by a full percentage point by the end of 2025.
Spot silver was steady at $31.2 an ounce, while platinum eased 0.2% to $936.55. Palladium gained 0.7% to $914.55.