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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
Forces that seized control of the Second Military Region Command on the outskirts of Al Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout, on 3 January 2026. AFP
Politics

Saudi Arabia's red line in Yemen explained

08 January 2026

Overcoming Yemen's fragmentation requires more support for the Riyadh-led path—one that rejects secession, all militias and institutionalises the state

Abdullah F. Alrebh
A Venezuelan oil tanker in the middle of the sea near Singapore, after being pursued by US authorities, on 18 March 2025. Reuters
Business & Economy

The problem with Venezuela's oil is technical, not political

04 January 2026

Tighter US control over Venezuelan exports won't necessarily redirect barrels, reshape trade flows, or alter global supply balances

Faisal Faeq
Al Majalla
Politics

5 unanswered questions about Trump’s Venezuela plan

06 January 2026

Maduro's exit doesn't mean the end of his government

Ravi Agrawal
Al Majalla
Documents & Memoirs

Putin foreshadowed the Ukraine war in 2008 meeting with Bush

06 January 2026

Recently declassified meeting minutes between the two leaders show how Washington was well aware of Moscow's grievances over NATO expansion, but went ahead anyway

Samer Elias
People ride in an old electric tram in Alexandria, Egypt, on 3 August 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Culture & Social Affairs

Alexandria bids farewell to its historic tram

07 January 2026

More than 160 years after the first tram was inaugurated in the Egyptian city, the pace of life has forced change, replacing the much-loved old carriages holding memories of a bygone age

Yasmin Abdallah

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OPINIONS

With protests at home and threats abroad, Iran looks rattled

The Economist
The Economist

Saudi Arabia's red line in Yemen explained

Abdullah F. Alrebh
Abdullah F. Alrebh

Alexandria bids farewell to its historic tram

Yasmin Abdallah
Yasmin Abdallah

Can a "coalition of the willing" win Europe favour with Trump?

Con Coughlin
Con Coughlin
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