About Us

Sahara Gold Corporation is a gold exploration and development company founded in Mauritania by three partners, with offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and an extensive network of mining professionals in Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Australia, Europe and North America.

In 2011, a senior Mauritanian geologist, Dr Sid Ahmed Reyoug approached Dr Karamo Sonko with an opportunity and a trust that he could not resist. At that time, Dr Sonko was Vice President of Shark Minerals in Mauritania, a Canadian junior exploration company, after serving for four years as Vice President and Deputy Director General of Tasiast Mauritania Limited. Tasiast was a Red Back Mining subsidiary which had made one of the biggest discoveries of gold in Africa during the preceding 30 years.

Dr Reyoug, who had been working with an Australian junior exploration company in Northeast Mauritania, which had left the country, invited Dr Sonko to form a partnership with him to apply for licenses in the same area. Subsequently, Dr Sonko also invited another Mauritanian friend who is a former banker and actuarial scientist to join Dr Reyoug and himself.

Over the years, the two gentlemen were involved in various projects in different parts of Africa, including major natural resource discoveries, but maintained their interest in this part of Mauritania revealed by Dr Reyoug. Opinions from their network of competent international geologists shows the area to be one of the most prospective in Africa, with the potential for building the next big gold mine in Mauritania.

In December 2023, the partners finally secured three separate titles over the most explored part of the grounds where earlier exploration, including drilling, had exposed tremendous potential through the assay results obtained, ranging from 1g/t to 437 g/t of gold.

We have three (3) exploration permits, in one of the two most prospective parts of Mauritania for the exploration of gold. We have a land package covering 1,335 square kilometers.

In addition to earlier assessments, the partners have undertaken due diligence in this area since December 2023, assessing previous work and simulating the present and future potential of the licenses.

The principals of Sahara Gold have experience and networks throughout Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, we have recently prepared a roadmap or expansion plan to acquire licenses in different countries and parts of both regions.

Governance

Executive Chairman

Former President of the Republic of South Africa
Principal Advisor on Government Relations

Principal Strategic Advisor

Managing Director &

Chief Geologist

Director of Investor Relations

Advisor on Sustainability

Management

Managing Director &

Chief Geologist

Financial Advisor

Vice President of

Sustainability & Impact

Geological Management

Supervising Geologist

Senior Geologist

Exploration Coordinator (North Africa and Middle East)

SUSTAINABLE MINING

The partners in Sahara Gold Corporation strongly believe in sustainable mining.

Dr Sonko, the Chairman, is a leading authority on sustainability with more than two decades of experience in corporate governance, environmental stewardship and community and government relations, among others. Ms. Mariama Sonko is a GRI certified sustainability professional and is the Vice President of Sustainability and Impact at Sahara Gold. Dr Sonko and Mariama are co-authors of the first book ever on comprehensive holistic Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

The book was published by Palgrave Macmillan (London and New York) and launched during COP28 (December 2023) in Dubai, in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Book Name – Demystifying Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

Authors: Karamo NM Sonko , Mariama Sonko

Together with their extensive global networks of sustainability professionals, they intend to apply innovative sustainable mining principles and practices in Sahara Gold. These would make the projects outstanding and in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063.

INVESTORS AND MEDIA

Tentative Roadmap for Years 1-6 and beyond

Year 1 to Year 2:

Step 1: Register Management Company in the UAE, prepare work programme, hire geologists. (Done)

Step 2: Raise money for Nsour Permit of Sahara Gold only, leaving Nsour Sud Ouest & Oued El Ma in the name of BIG Consultancy (our second titleholder/company)

Step 3: Implement minimum work program/drilling and funds for other expenses.

Step 4: Analyse the results.

Step 5: Based on the results, do either: A) IPO or B) Look for bigger investor(s)/partner(s).

Value proposition: Sell a minority stake in the company and enable shareholders to derive returns from an IPO or partnership with bigger investor or operator

Timeline for Above: 1-2 years

Year 3-4:  Further exploration and Scoping Study

Year 4-5: Exploration continues, Feasibility study and search for financing of mine begins

Year 5-6: Project Financing and Pre-Construction begins

Value/Sources of returns for investors: Shares and/or partnership with a bigger investor(s)

News and Announcements

  • News and Announcements

    9 October 2025

    SAHARA GOLD, SABLES SUSTAINABLE MINING SIGN BINDING AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIAN MINING COMPANY
    Today, October 9, 2025, we signed our first agreement with a multinational company with experience in Africa, Australia and the Middle East. The binding agreement covers one of Sahara Gold’s tenements and an agreement in principle to team up and explore desert regions in Africa and the Middle East in order to unlock the vast potential that lies unexplored and under-explored in these regions. Today’s agreement is of great importance to us at Sahara Gold and Sables Sustainable Mining, after more than a year patiently negotiating with numerous potential partners. We are pleased also because our new partner shares our enthusiasm about these regions and Africa in general and they have exploration experience in deserts. Furthermore, they have ready access to a drill rig and are keen to accelerate exploration and reach a drilling decision the soonest possible.These encouraging signs, plus their technical and financial capacities, augur well for our calculated, informed and strategic entry into sustainable mining, especially in deserts where environmental and community issues are less challenging.
    On Monday, 12th October, 2025, our CEO will share his experience in greenfield exploration with geophysicists, geologists and other industry experts from around the world in a keynote address at GEOMIN2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    26 September 2025

    KEYNOTE SPEECH TO GEOPHYSICISTS & GEOLOGISTS IN SAUDI ARABIA
    We, at Sahara Gold Corporation, are pleased to be part of the next frontier of resource discovery, alongside fellow industry leaders and advancing responsible strategies to unlock the Super Region (Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia)’s untapped mineral potential. Joining forces with global mining leaders, pioneering geoscientists, geologists and top researchers, our team will be present at GEOMIN 2025. Particularly, our Chairman will deliver a keynote address at GEOMIN 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, October 12-14. The future of critical mineral exploration takes center stage at this symposium, under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia. Speakers will explore cutting-edge innovations that are redefining how we unlock the Super Region’s vast mineral potential, with a focus on smarter, more sustainable, and responsible mining practices. He will make a presentation on “Early Stage & Greenfield Exploration Projects: Challenges & Strategic Approaches to Value Creation”. The event is being is hosted and sponsored by the Saudi Geological Survey, organized by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) (Houston, Texas) and endorsed by major mining and professional organizations, such as the Australian Society for Exploration Geophysicists, Geological Surveys of Europe, Aramco, Maaden, Geological Society of Africa, Critical Mineral Association (India), BRGM, Colorado School of Mines, Council of Geoscience, Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society, Organization of African Geological Surveys, Society of Economic Geologists and many others from different parts of the world.

    1 August 2025

    SAHARA GOLD: PERSEUS MINING GEOLOGIST PROVIDES TECHNICAL ADVICE AS THE CORPORATION EXERTS PRESENCE IN UAE, SAUDI ARABIA, COTE D’IVOIRE & USA
    This week is a great one at Sahara Gold. After a meeting of our local team with the Minister of Mining of Mauritania, a few weeks ago, and advice from senior African, Australian and European geologists earlier, our team was treated yesterday to a detailed technical session by the Exploration Manager, Francophone West Africa of Perseus Mining. He is a geologist with 35 years’ work experience who has led discoveries in a number of now operating gold mines in Africa. The objective of the meeting was to listen to and benefit from his informed, honest and critical judgment of Sahara Gold’s projects and get his advice on how to proceed with the corporation’s Second Phase Exploration Programme. Our appreciation was spurred by the depth of the analysis and guidance on where he believes we should look in order to unlock the immense potential of our tenements, which host a well-defined shear zone of more than 100 kilometres. His opinions do not directly or indirectly represent those of Perseus and they do not indicate implicit or explicit endorsement of our projects by Perseus Mining Ltd. Nevertheless, we are grateful to him and Perseus’s General Manager for Exploration who kindly made the meeting possible.
    The day ended with another meeting – this time with a potential partner in New York city, working with one of the most experienced and published American metallurgists. Sahara Gold has an international A-Team of advisers and friends, including geologists, engineers, lawyers, former top corporate executives and a highly respected former head of state. We have no doubt that our projects have the multi-million-ounce exploration target which has been estimated by a 76-year Australian Competent Person. We are patiently looking forward to the day when, In Sha Allah without doubt, the Corporation would rise over the desert as a model of desirable and sustainable mining in Africa.

    1 June 2025

    GOLD ASSAY RESULTS PROMISING, FIRST PHASE EXPLORATION ENDS
    We are pleased to provide this very brief note on the successful conclusion of its First Phase Work Program and renewal last week of ALL its gold exploration licenses. The program consisted of:
    1) Analysis and interpretation of historic soil geochemical data from the previous titleholder; 2) Re-assaying of pulp samples; 3) Mapping and prospecting; 4) Trenching; 5) Soil sampling; 6) Sending samples to MSA and ALS (Ireland) labs. The results of all samples submitted have now been received; 7) Preparation of a detailed Technical Report, with all the relevant information including assay results. The Technical Report and the reports from the labs have been downloaded into our data room; and 8) On the basis of the results obtained, the next phase of the work program is being considered, with the possibility of drilling (RC and DD).
    Our geologists have described the results obtained so far as “beyond expectations”! However, they have recommended more work in the Southeastern section of one of the tenements where “regional structural vectors are prominent and supports interpreted mineralization in the area. The shear zone, which has seen previous sampling along sections of it, provides good geology and structural information from interpreted maps and remote sensing for good mineralization potential in the area and needs to be of prime focus. The sampling program carried out in the area produced strong gold-in-soil anomalies and these anomalies have up to 800m in width at a background value of 20ppb and consistent along several kilometers strike length.”
    Further and detailed information may be obtained by writing to: info@sablessustainablemining.com, cc: info@saharagold.net

    31 January 2025

    We have completed our work programme which began on the 1st of November 2024 and has now ended on the 31st of January 2025. It resulted in the digging of 25 trenches and the completion of digging 1,041 soil sample points. All the trenches dug have Lithology and Veins records. Over 6000 samples were taken (including standards and blanks) from the trenches since we first started digging the trenches until the end of the mission. Some of the samples were submitted to the ALS Nouakchott (MMM Labs) laboratory for mechanical preparation. The samples have now arrived at ALS Laboratory in Ireland and we are awaiting the results.

    On the 14th of January 2025, we honored an invitation to attend a special session of the Future Mining Forum (FMF) 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This session was organised by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. Here is what we achieved during our trip:
    1) A pitch to investors in the presence of senior government officials in the special session of about 60 participants, out of a total officially reported number of 20,000 participants at this year’s Forum. Our Vice-President for Sustainability and Impact made the pitch and she excelled.
    2)    Meetings with Australian and Canadian investors.
    3)    Meetings with present and former Mining Ministers from Africa.

    24 November 2024

    Soil Sampling begins.

    21 November 2024

    The laboratory reports in November 2024 from the internationally known and accredited MSALABS, are showing the re-assaying results for gold in 40 initial pulp samples. They are all showing significant values except 3. We have carried out detailed statistical analysis confirming harmony with the results of the previous explorer whose team intersected 1g/t to 437g/t. Ongoing artisanal mining has already proved them right even before we started our exploration! 

    Please note that the re-assaying was done by fire-assay and repeated for greater certainty to eliminate doubt. We have a lot more samples on the way from trenching, soil sampling, RC and DD in our overhauled work programme already underway.

    1 November 2024
    Sahara Gold embarks on active work program ahead of schedule: discovering visible gold and encouraging results.


    Project Progress Update since 1st October 2024

    1. Arrival and meeting of expat geologists to with Chief Geologist to review historic data and assess and develop an initial work program for the Conchita project in order to progress it to a JORC compliant resource.
    2. Established an initial triple-method re-assaying program of holes consisting of pulp samples to determine best assay method for the Conchita project. Samples dispatched to the internationally recognized MSA LABS branch in Nouakchott on 21st of October 2024 and results expected in about 14 days.
    3. Completion of planning of an initial trenching and drill program for 2024.
    4. Relogging and Interpretation of RC chips of previous holes from the 2012 Conchita drill program so as to better correlate mineralisation with geology to be completed before end of October 2024.
    5. Field Crews due to leave for Site by the end of October. Field work expected to commence at the start of November.


    Project Progress from December 2023 to September 2024

    1. Drilling expected to begin in late November/early December 2024
    2. Sables Sustainability Mining Company Consultancy, management contractor of Sahara Gold, set up in Abu Dhabi— August 2024
    3. Technical due diligence by independent competent person of international reputation completed— May 2024
    4. Sahara and sister company, BIG Consulting, permits granted— December 2023