The discovery of gold deposits by a mining company in Saudi Arabia has captured the attention of the world. Some are now speculating that the kingdom could emerge as a leading producer of gold.

While economists believe Saudi Arabia could be one of the world’s top ten gold producers, some environmentalists have expressed concern over the country’s environment.

Understanding the public’s opinion on this is crucial; therefore, the online survey app Real Research surveyed the topic, and here are the results.

Highlights:

  • 66.9% believe Saudi Arabia could emerge as a major producer of gold due to the latest discovery.
  • Saudi Arabia’s gold discovery could rank the country in the world’s top ten gold producers, according to 67.4%
  • 64.1% think continuous gold mining could potentially harm the country’s and the world’s environment.

Saudi Arabia’s Gold Discovery

57.155 knew about Saudi Arabia’s gold discovery, while 42.85% didn’t.

Reportedly, the gold content of the ore within Saudi Arabia’s treasure trove is considered high. The majority (70.43%) believe that the ore’s quality could increase the demand for Saudi Arabia-produced gold. However, 29.57% disagreed.

After the discovery of gold deposits in Saudi Arabia, several economists speculated that Saudi Arabia could emerge as a “major producer of the precious metal.” A statement that 66.9% believe would happen and 33.1% see as unlikely.

Figure 1: Agreement with Saudi Arabia emerging as a major gold producer
Figure 1: Agreement with Saudi Arabia emerging as a major gold producer

Moreover, these gold mines could propel Saudi Arabia into the ranks of the world’s top ten gold producers, according to 67.4%. The remaining 32.6% opposed.

Figure 2: Opinion on Saudi Arabia's ranking among the world’s top 10 gold producers
Figure 2: Opinion on Saudi Arabia’s ranking among the world’s top 10 gold producers

Will the Gold Discovery in Saudi Arabia Harm the Environment?

On the other hand, continuous mining for gold could potentially harm the country’s and the entire world’s environment. 64.1% shared these concerns with the environmentalists, while 35.9% didn’t see it that way.

The mining company’s CEO believes that the discovery aligns with the Saudi Arabian government’s Vision 2030 policy, which aims to establish mining as the third pillar of the Saudi economy. 67.28% believe these recent discoveries could contribute to Saudi Arabia’s vision, while 32.72% disagree.

Agreement on Saudi Arabia’s gold discovery contributing to the nation’s 2030 vision
Figure 3: Agreement on Saudi Arabia’s gold discovery contributing to the nation’s 2030 vision

In the end, 66.55% think Saudi Arabia’s gold discovery could have a positive impact on the overall economy of the world. On the other hand, 33.45% claimed the opposite.

Methodology

Survey TitleSurvey on Saudi Arabia’s Recent Gold Discovery
DurationJanuary 26 – February 2, 2024
Number of Participants6,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia,… Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.