Amidst the intensifying geopolitical race between the U.S. and China over rare earth dominance, **Egypt is stepping into the spotlight** with a hidden treasure: *Black Sands*. These resource-rich coastal deposits are positioning the North African country as a new power in the global critical minerals market.
Stretching across 400 kilometers along the Mediterranean coast—from Rosetta to Rafah—Egypt is reported to have **the world’s largest reserves** of black sands, totaling approximately **1.3 billion cubic meters**, according to Egypt's Decision Support Center.
These black sands contain over 41 types of heavy minerals used in more than 49 vital industries, including aircraft and missile manufacturing, nuclear energy, smartphones, and electric vehicles.
In 2016, Egypt established its first dedicated company for black sand extraction. By 2018, a major separation facility was launched in Kafr El Sheikh with investments exceeding \$32 million. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi anticipates the sector could **save Egypt \$50 million in imports** and **boost exports by \$100 million annually**.
Key extracted minerals include **ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, magnetite, and ultra-fine zircon**, along with rare elements like **hafnium, thorium, and uranium**, vital for aerospace and nuclear industries.
This natural wealth, long neglected and sometimes illegally exported, is now being leveraged to support Egypt’s strategic ambitions in energy, defense, and high-tech sectors—placing the country firmly on the map of rare earth contenders.