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  • Politics
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  • mineral wealth

An Afghan miner extracts gold ore in the Ghulak Dara Valley in the Shighnan district of Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan, on 28 July 2026. AFP

Will Trump entertain the Taliban's rare-earth invitation?

Afghanistan's mineral resources, including its coveted rare earths, are estimated to be worth more than $1tn, but so far China has been the main extractor, but a recent offer could change that

Kamal Alam 12 September 2026
Underwater image of a diver among fish at the North Seymour Island dive site in the Galapagos archipelago, Ecuador, taken on 8 March 2024. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP

The global race for rare earths reaches the ocean floor

A critical mineral found on Japan's seabed has caught US attention, and the two are teaming up to see whether it can yield future benefits and reduce their dependence on China

Abdulfattah Khattab 08 September 2026
Diana Estefanía Rubio

New front in race for rare earths opens under the sea

In the Pacific, the US and Japan are looking to exploit deep-sea mineral resources to counter China’s dominance of rare-earth supply chains, amid environmental concerns and unresolved international…

Al Majalla - London 18 August 2026
Eduardo Ramon

The G7 gets serious about critical minerals

With China dominating the 'rare earths' needed to power the technology of the future, the West is playing catch-up in a race that began years ago. Finally, a plan is emerging.

Abdulfattah Khattab 20 January 2026
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
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Pep Boatella
Politics

Al-Jawf: the key to defeating the Houthis

05, Nov 2026

The battle for this strategically important and resource-rich province tests the Yemeni army's ability to tilt the military balance in its favour

Al Majalla - London
Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al-Saud, Pakistan's army chief General Syed Asim Munir, and Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin in Tehran on 26 October 2026. IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / AFP
Politics

Pakistan’s balancing act in a fragmenting world

07, Nov 2026

Staying friends with the Turks, Chinese, Russians, Americans, Europeans, Iranians and Saudis simultaneously is a big ask for Islamabad's diplomats, but somehow they are managing it

Kaswar Klasra
Politics

Can the Democrats prevent a new round of war with Iran?

05, Nov 2026

Despite the war's unpopularity, Trump seems determined to press on until he can claim a decisive victory, whether by diplomacy, force, or a combination of the two

Aqeel Abbas
Eduardo Ramon
Profiles

Abdul El-Sayed: the progressive Michigander who beat the pro-Israel lobby

07, Aug 2026

The Egyptian-American epidemiologist became the first Muslim senator in US history, despite $70mn spent to defeat him in the Democratic primary

Tarek Rashed
French author Philippe Djianada looks out from a window at the Drouant restaurant in Paris, following his win of the French Goncourt literary prize for his novel "The Unknown Woman of Quai de Javel," on 3 November 2026. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Culture & Social Affairs

A novel about a murder in Paris wins the 2026 Goncourt

06, Nov 2026

French novelist Philippe Jaenada's novel 'The Unknown Woman of Quai de Javel' wins big, while the Prix Renaudot goes to François-Henri Désérable for his novel about an unlikely wine expert

Najeeb Mubarak

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OPINIONS

Is Israel ready for its first non-Ashkenazi prime minister?

Kamal Alam
Kamal Alam

Pakistan’s balancing act in a fragmenting world

Kaswar Klasra
Kaswar Klasra

Americans care about foreign policy. Now Democrats must listen to them.

Howard W. French
Howard W. French

New Black Sea attacks raise threat of global food crisis

Abdel-Rahman Ayas
Abdel-Rahman Ayas
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