Red Mud (RM) based gold catalysts were prepared by supporting gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the RM residue reduced either with H-2 or with ethanol - which promoted partial coating of the RM with carbon. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, elemental analysis CHN, transmission electron microscopy and EDS microanalysis. Their catalytic performance was evaluated in the liquid-phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol by molecular oxygen, for the first time, as far as we know. The results showed that AuNPs with diameters of around 10 nm were successfully supported and distributed on the surface of red mud based materials. Furthermore, carbon coating allowed better incorporation of AuNPs on the material surface and better dispersion of the material into the reaction solutions. AuNPs supported on RM reduced in ethanol and, therefore, coated with carbon showed better catalytic performance than AuNPs supported on MR reduced in hydrogen. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.