Iguidi Gold Mine: Engineering Mauritania’s Next Major Gold Development
2020: Laying the Groundwork
Since March 2020, Emiral’s Mauritanian entity, Emiral Mining SARL, has been exploring one of the country’s most promising gold districts in the remote Tiris Zemmour region. What began with early prospecting has grown into a sustained exploration campaign, and today Iguidi stands as Mauritania’s largest exploration project transitioning into construction, a project Emiral has now invested more than $80 million to advance.
2022: A Significant Discovery
Emiral’s exploration team has completed over 200,000 metres of RC and diamond drilling across the licence area, work that led to a significant gold discovery in 2022 and has continued to define the scale and quality of the resource ever since. That same year, in May 2022, Emiral began providing regular material support, technical water, diesel fuel and medical assistance, to the artisanal mining communities working near the project, a policy of peaceful coexistence it has maintained since the start of its operations in Mauritania.
2024: Building the Foundations for Development
In 2024, drilling confirmed reliable groundwater availability within the licence area, a critical enabler for future plant operations in this arid environment. That same year, Emiral brought analytical testing capability on site through a purpose built sample preparation facility operated with MSA Labs (Canada), sharply reducing turnaround times for the drilling programme.
August 2025: From Study to Execution
A Pre-Feasibility Study, led by Lycopodium (Canada) and completed in August 2025, confirmed the project’s potential and set the stage for the next phase of development. That same month, Emiral delivered a civic greening initiative in Zouérate, the capital of Tiris Zemmour, part of its broader support for provincial communities where public budgets constrain social investment.
November 2025: Launching FEED
In November 2025, Emiral launched the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study, led by Lycopodium, covering a 4 million tonne per annum Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) gold processing plant and the full range of infrastructure needed to support operations. FEED is on track for completion by Q3 2026.
May 2026: On the Ground and In Dialogue
To keep that momentum grounded in the realities of the site, Emiral brought a multidisciplinary international team of contractors and consultants to Iguidi in May 2026. Specialists from Lycopodium assessed process engineering requirements, while a team of world leading environmental, social and resource consultants reviewed development plans and community considerations, contributed to JORC compliant resource and reserves, mine planning activities, and scoped out what an effective supply chain strategy would look like across one of the most isolated corners of the Sahara. Bringing these experts together on the ground allowed Emiral to identify challenges and develop practical solutions before construction begins.
Government relations remain a constant thread throughout the project’s development, sustained on a regular basis by both Emiral’s Mauritanian entity and its corporate team. That same month, this culminated in meetings between Emiral’s CEO Alexander Smirnov and the Mauritanian Minister of Mines and the Director General of Mines, where the outcomes of the site visit and FEED progress were shared directly with government counterparts, reinforcing the close and ongoing dialogue that underpins the project’s advancement.
Mid-2026: Advancing the Licence and Supporting Communities
In June 2026, following an agreement signed with the Ministry of Mines and Industry and the Maaden agency, Emiral committed to contributing 10 million MRU annually over three years to the Maaden fund. Nationally, Emiral has built a constructive working relationship with the Ministry of Mines and with Maaden, joining Mauritania’s mining sector delegation at international events such as Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town and MOTA 2026 in Paris, in support of the country’s efforts to attract investment into its mining sector.
In the first half of 2026, Emiral distributed food supplies and bread during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to support community welfare among artisanal mining communities, and supplied technical water and diesel fuel to address essential operational and household needs in this remote desert region. Its medical post at the Iguidi Project Basecamp provided care to 460 individuals, meaningful support in a region where healthcare access remains limited. Further funding for the Zouérate greening initiative was also allocated for August 2026, alongside Emiral’s long standing sponsorship of community life more broadly, including petanque tournaments in Nouakchott.
August 2026: Advancing the Licensing Process
In August 2026, Emiral submitted the Terms of Reference for its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), formally initiating the mining licencing procedure, a key step on the path toward construction and operation of the Iguidi Gold Mine. This process will be followed by incorporation of the production company and issuance of the mining licence, completing the regulatory foundation for the project’s development.
Through 2026: Technical Advancement
Technical work has continued at pace across every discipline. Geotechnical field investigations, carried out with a specialist West African engineering firm experienced across the Sahel, have included pit slope stability analysis to ensure the mine is designed for safe, efficient long term operation. In parallel, world leading geotechnical consultants are conducting geomechanical studies across the proposed plant and tailings storage facility areas, including foundation assessments and site characterisation. A metallurgical drilling programme continues to focus on oxide and weathered material, with results directed at confirming and refining the parameters already incorporated into the engineering design.
Looking Ahead
As FEED nears completion, Emiral’s focus turns to achieving a Final Investment Decision in Q4 2026, with first gold production targeted approximately 30 months later. It’s an ambitious timeline, but one backed by a well structured schedule and a highly capable international team.
Building for the Long Term
The progress of the past six years reflects what sustained partnership and long term commitment can achieve. Iguidi is advancing with purpose, and Emiral is building a project that will create lasting value for Mauritania and the communities that will help shape its future for generations to come.
