According to the World Gold Council report, Saudi Arabia has gold reserves of about 323.1 tonnes.
At a wedding ceremony in Saudi Arabia, a young man is seen keeping gold bars in a basket and distributing them among the people. It is being said that the bride’s brother is giving this wonderful gift to the people of the wedding procession. This post is becoming very viral on social media. 24 carat gold biscuits are being gifted to the groom’s family. At the same time, some users are also claiming that these were luxury chocolates, which are wrapped in gold-like foil and are often gifted on special occasions in the Middle East.
After this, questions started arising that is Saudi so rich that he distributes gold bricks even at weddings? After all, where does so much gold come from? Does he buy gold from other countries?
How much gold does Saudi Arabia have?
As soon as the name of Saudi Arabia comes to mind, the picture of huge oil wells and endless desert emerges in the mind, but in the last few years, this desert country has attracted the world’s attention in terms of another precious metal, gold. Saudi Arabia is not only the country with the largest gold reserves in the Middle East, but its position is also very strong at the global level.
According to the latest report of the World Gold Council, Saudi Arabia has gold reserves of about 323.1 tonnes. This figure keeps it in first place in the Arab world and among the top 20 countries in the list of central banks around the world.
Where does Saudi get so much gold from?
Saudi Arabia mainly has many sources of gold.
- Domestic Mining: The land of Saudi Arabia is not only full of oil but also of precious minerals. The Arabian Shield region located in the western part of the country is famous for gold mines. Saudi Arabia’s government mining company Ma’aden operates several big mines here.
- Mahd ad Dhahab: This is called the cradle of gold. Gold has been extracted from here for thousands of years.
- Am Amariid and Mansourah-Massarah: These are new and modern mines. Recently, huge new reserves of gold have been discovered within a radius of 125 kilometers near the Mansoura-Masrah mine, which can increase the gold production capacity of Saudi Arabia manifold.
- New discovery of gold in Saudi Arabia: Recently, Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of large reserves of gold in Al Khurma province of Mecca region. This discovery was made near the ‘Mansoora-Masrah’ mine. Initial samples have shown that the amount of gold per ton of ore here is quite high. This discovery can put Saudi Arabia in the category of major gold producing countries of the world.
viral video
Do you think it is gold or chocolate 🙂🙂😉😉 pic.twitter.com/pWd5nnb2N2
— @Litela📚🇷🇼 (@KezaSonia198151) February 10, 2026
Does Saudi Arabia buy gold from other countries?
Yes, Saudi Arabia buys gold from the international market. The Central Bank (Saudi Central Bank – SAMA) buys and sells gold as part of its monetary policy. Saudi Arabia is working on Vision 2030 to free its economy from oil dependence. Under this, it also buys gold from international markets to diversify its foreign exchange reserves.
When there is instability in the global economy or the dollar weakens, countries like Saudi Arabia increase investment in gold to safeguard their assets. Gold consumption is very high in Saudi Arabia. A large quantity of gold is imported from Switzerland, UAE and other countries for the jewelery market there. Saudi people and the pilgrims coming there buy gold in large quantities, due to which its demand always remains.
Strategic importance of gold reserves
For Saudi Arabia, gold is not just a metal but a strategic weapon. Fluctuations in oil prices affect the Saudi economy. Gold is a safe haven asset, which provides stability to the country’s economy at times of inflation and economic recession. A key pillar of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 is the development of the mining sector.
Saudi Arabia aims to make mining the third pillar of its economy after oil and petrochemicals. Like many countries of the world, Saudi Arabia is also preferring to keep a part of its assets in gold instead of dollars so as to reduce geopolitical risks.
Screengrab of viral video.
Many things creating confusion in viral video
The chocolate or gift item resembles a gold brick. Some weddings and other events in all the Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia are really very luxurious, which makes the claim seem credible. Many times the person posting writes exaggerated captions for the sake of views. As can be seen from the caption written in the viral video.
Gold Culture, Gifts and Status in Saudi
In many Middle Eastern societies, including Saudi, giving expensive gifts at weddings and large events is also associated with prestige and tradition. Some families also gift gold coins or jewelery – this is not a new thing. But this is not the rule of every marriage.
Whether the bride’s brother is distributing gold bricks or special chocolates to the wedding guests may be a matter of controversy or discussion, but an important truth is that Saudi Arabia’s gold reserves are a confluence of its ancient heritage and modern economic foresight. While on one hand he is extracting gold from his land, on the other hand he is filling his coffers by buying it from the global market. In the coming times, as production from new mines begins, Saudi Arabia will be counted firmly not only as an oil power but also as a gold power.
Also read: How did Maharana Pratap acquire his forts from the Mughals? This is the whole story
