Mahd al-Dhahab (Saudi Arabia)

The Mahd Al Dhahab (Arabic: مَـهـد الـذّهـب, "Cradle of (the) Gold"), is a small gold mining area in the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in the Medina Province in the Hejaz in Saudi Arabia. Gold was first mined in Arabia c. 30th century BC. A second period of activity was during the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1258. The latest activities, by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company began in 1936 using both open-pit and underground mines at Mahd adh-Dhahab. The Saudi Arabian Directorate General of Mineral Resources carried out further gold exploration in the 1970s, following the 1971 suspension of the US$-gold exchange rate and the consequent rise in value of the metal. Gold mining is done today by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company. The mine will close in 2023 as now only low-grade gold is being mined because of the depleting resources.