The Mahd adh Dhahab is a leading gold mining area in the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in the Al Madina province of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
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| 1948 stock certificate of the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate incorporated in the Bahamas |
In 1931, King Abdul Aziz assigned the American geologist K.S. Twitchell the task to investigate the presence of oil and minerals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Twitchell found oil in the Eastern Province, but also gold in the Hijaz Region in 1932.
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| location of Mahd adh Dhaba click to enlarge |
The Arabian government and the American Smelting and Refining Company formed in 1935 the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate for the operation of the Mahd ad Dhahab gold mine . Activities began in 1936. Mining started from below ancient workings as well as from an open cut and from old surface dumps.
Later archeological studies of the mine revealed that from this area gold, silver and copper were digged during the reign of King Solomon (961-922 B.C.). Mahd adh Dhabab means actually “Cradle of Gold”. During King Solomon's period, probably thousands of people digged in forced labor an extensive ancient mine.
Today, the gold mining is run by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company.
Few scripophily is seen from Saudi Arabia, so if you could report any additions that would be interesting.
F.L.
Just wanted to say I found your article on King Solomon's Cradle of Gold incredibly interesting. My father was hired by the American Smelting and Refinery company when he was 22 in 1938. He was the job foreman at the site of the mine when they were first going to go underground and I grew up hearing his incredible stories of the trip overseas to the port of Jedda and then a few days by camel to the mine itself where he worked for a couple of years I believe. I have the articles from the Yonkers Herald telling of his job and trip to Saudi Arabia, it made front page news. I also have a photo of him taken sometime in 1938 or 39 at the mine with a camel. That job lead him onto to a fantastic career in mining.....he travel all over the world spoke fluent arabic as well as a few other languages and I myself was fortunate enough to live overseas until I was about ten. Anyway I was collecting info on his background for geneaology purposes and like this article and just thought I would say so. Thanks......Laurel Faulk
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say I found your article on King Solomon's Cradle of Gold incredibly interesting. My father was hired by the American Smelting and Refinery company when he was 22 in 1938. He was the job foreman at the site of the mine when they were first going to go underground and I grew up hearing his incredible stories of the trip overseas to the port of Jedda and then a few days by camel to the mine itself where he worked for a couple of years I believe. I have the articles from the Yonkers Herald telling of his job and trip to Saudi Arabia, it made front page news. I also have a photo of him taken sometime in 1938 or 39 at the mine with a camel. That job lead him onto to a fantastic career in mining.....he travel all over the world spoke fluent arabic as well as a few other languages and I myself was fortunate enough to live overseas until I was about ten. Anyway I was collecting info on his background for geneaology purposes and like this article and just thought I would say so. Thanks......Laurel Faulk