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  • mineral wealth

Al Majalla

The six noble gases countries are fighting over

Odourless, colourless gases such as helium, neon, radon, argon, krypton, and xenon power key industries. They are rare, difficult to extract, and hugely valuable, yet largely under the radar.

Abdulfattah Khattab 07 December 2025
US President Donald Trump (L) and Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (R) hold up signed documents on a trade deal during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 26 October 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Will Trump’s critical minerals blitz pay off?

The US president has been on a mission to secure new supply chains—and counter China's grip

Christina Lu 11 November 2025
Shutterstock

Thorium: Egypt’s mineral treasure lying in its black sands

A metal that can be converted into a fissile material for nuclear power is plentiful in the Arab world's most populous country. If science can harness its potential, Egypt has a valuable asset.

Marcelle Nasr 09 September 2025
A worker mining lead sulphide in the border area between Morocco and Algeria. Alamy

Algeria’s mineral wealth gives it a new edge

The country has passed a new minerals law seen by its backers as a catalyst for investment. But critics say it surrenders sovereignty. Which way will the pendulum swing?

Rabia Abdul Salam 04 September 2025
Eduardo Ramon

The rare earths powering industries and fuelling conflicts

From Africa to the Arctic, certain metals and minerals are so highly sought after for today's strategic industries that countries will go to war over them. What are they? Al Majalla digs deeper.

Abdulfattah Khattab 18 August 2025
Al Majalla

China's rare earths edge puts US industry on the back foot

America’s economy heavily depends on imported minerals vital for technology, energy, and defence. In 2024, the US was 100% import-reliant for 12 of the 50 “critical” minerals identified by the US…

Al Majalla - London 12 August 2025
A factory in Egypt Getty

Egypt’s phosphates: a strategic resource being given a boost

The country has the world's second-largest reserves but is only the eighth-largest producer. It hopes to boost production to meet global demand.

Marcelle Nasr 27 March 2025
A miner at work in Al Amar gold mine, southwest of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit: Reuters.

Saudi Arabia’s Hidden Wealth for Post-Oil Era

For a long period of time, Saudi Arabia’s wealth has come mainly from oil production in the eastern part of the Kingdom. With proven reserves of oil estimated at 267 billion barrels, Saudi Arabia can…

Motasem Al Felou 25 September 2021
  • Popular
  • Editor's Pick
Lina Jaradat
Politics

Trump, Sharaa, and the future of Syria

05 December 2025

There was visible warmth when the US and Syrian presidents met in the Oval Office last month, with some even speculating a Trump visit to Damascus. But there is much to do before that happens.

Robert Ford
AFP / Al Majalla
Politics

The GCC moves from ‘safe neutrality’ to ‘indivisible security’

05 December 2025

Following the unprecedented attacks on Qatar, Gulf leaders have pledged to forge a unified defence front, marking a historic shift from cautious neutrality to collective security

Omar Harkous
Jay Torres
Politics

The evolution of Latin America’s drug cartels

04 December 2025

What began as a locally rooted trade in coca leaves and opium evolved into a transnational system of cartels that challenged governments, corrupted institutions, and destabilised countries

Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra
AFP / Al Majalla
Politics

Why the US is asking Lebanon for its bomb back

05 December 2025

When Israel killed a Hezbollah military chief in late November, one GBU-39 bomb failed to detonate, leaving Washington worried that its adversaries could reverse engineer it

Michael Horowitz
Spanish poet Miriam Reyes Wikimedia Commons
Culture & Social Affairs

Spanish poet Miriam Reyes on escaping the prison of the page

03 December 2025

With her collection 'Con' having won Spain's 2025 National Poetry Prize, the Galician writer spoke to Al Majalla about the process of creation as she works on her first novel.

Mohammed Al-Bittari

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OPINIONS

Clemency for retirement: the deal shaking Israel

Mohammed Najib
Mohammed Najib

Why a Russian base on Sudan’s coast spells trouble for Egypt

Amr Emam
Amr Emam

Trump takes aim at ‘weak and decaying’ Europe over Ukraine

Con Coughlin
Con Coughlin

Commercialising government data: a new investment opportunity

Hatem Faried
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