Saudi Arabian mining company Ma'aden has successfully extracted lithium from seawater. The project is currently at the pilot stage as the level of production is not yet commercially viable, the company's CEO Robert Wilt said.
“We are actually producing lithium from seawater now,” he said, without giving other details.
Ma'aden, the kingdom's flagship mining company, is 67% owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The United States and China are in a race to access lithium, the mineral key to batteries for electric cars, laptops and smartphones. Saudi Arabia has joined the pack, hoping to use lithium to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles (EV) as part of ambitious plans to turn the kingdom into an EV hub.
The kingdom's booming mining industry is a key element of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategic program aimed at diversifying the economy and getting rid of oil dependence.
Saudi Arabia's national oil giant Aramco is also trying to extract lithium from brine in its oilfields, but Wilt said Ma'aden is well ahead of Aramco on that front. “We are both working on parallel paths. Ma'aden on lithium extraction from seawater, Aramco from brines, where lithium has a higher concentration,” he said, noting that consultations are underway to ‘bring the two companies together.
Hélène Tarin, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
Exclusive
Yoram Dvash: Industry unity, producer leadership and marketing investment key to natural diamond's future
The natural diamond industry is navigating a period of significant transition, but there are increasing signs that the foundations for a stronger and more positive future are being built, according to the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB)...
29 june 2026
AWDC: First fully traceable artisanal diamonds from DRC sold on the international market in Antwerp
In a historic milestone for the diamond industry, fully traceable, artisanal diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been sold on the international market for the very first time in Antwerp. Below, Ine Tassignon, AWDC spokesperson, provides...
22 june 2026
Natural diamonds most desired luxury jewellery, Gen Z spending double baby boomers, reveals De Beers report
Natural diamonds remain the most desired jewellery item among US consumers, with Millennials and Gen Z driving demand value and spending, according to De Beers Group’s The Diamond Report, which draws on the biannual Diamond Acquisition Study of 18,500...
15 june 2026
Edahn Golan: India’s lab-grown diamond exports surpass natural diamonds by volume, yet value gap widens
India’s diamond industry has reached a historic turning point. In March and April 2026, the volume of lab‑grown diamond exports overtook that of natural diamonds, with lab‑grown stones accounting for 51% and 50.4% of total export volume respectively...
01 june 2026
Dr M’zée Fula-Ngenge: Kimberley Process failing Africa
The Kimberley Process (KP) is failing Africa, and the world's definition of a “conflict diamond” is a moral and legal absurdity, according to the African Diamond Council (ADC) chairperson M’zée Fula-Ngenge. The following exclusive...
18 may 2026
