Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs
Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs, said that the Future Minerals Forum, scheduled to be held from January 13-15, will serve as a key platform for showcasing investment opportunities in the Kingdom’s mining sector. “This will be in addition to announcing new licensing tenders, revealing the results of the ninth licensing round, awarding licenses, and opening bid submissions for the tenth and eleventh rounds,” he added. 
Saudi companies will benefit from the conference by showcasing their future strategies, such as Maaden and AMAK along with a number of companies that join the Saudi market each year. The conference provides them with opportunities to attract partners from service providers, suppliers, or investors, he stated, in an interview with Argaam on the sidelines of the press conference announcing details of the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum.
Al-Mudaifer also emphasized that FMF is a global platform that brings together the international mining sector in Riyadh, with the aim of boosting global mineral supplies amid the growing need to meet rising demand for critical and strategic minerals. He noted that this requires expanding supply and initiating production in countries that were not previously producers of these minerals, in addition to providing them at lower prices and costs than currently available—an effort that necessitates infrastructure availability.
Furthermore, the forum will host a ministerial meeting with more than 180 participants representing around 100 countries, including many UN member states—a significant number encompassing some of the world’s largest and most important economies, including 17 G20 countries, he added.
About 70% of the participants in the event will be leaders and ministers, in addition to 59 international organizations with significant influence and a key role in infrastructure provision, sustainability, standardization, and securing project financing. The conference will also bring together the heads of global trade and industry bodies—such as the International Copper Association, the World Gold Council, and the International Fertilizer Association—under one roof to discuss how to influence the global mining sector, according to the official.
Al-Mudaifer also pointed to the launch of the first forum led by the Bank of Montreal, one of the largest financiers of the mining sector, where investors and global and local mining companies—whether listed on stock markets or seeking to go public—will present their perspectives, needs, and future performance, enabling investors and investment funds to evaluate opportunities and make informed investment decisions.
This initiative is new to the Kingdom and had previously been limited to select locations such as Florida. It has now been brought to Saudi Arabia to serve Saudi and international investors and to facilitate access to financing from the global business sector, he added.
Regarding the technology sector, Al-Mudaifer highlighted that it represents a key area for investment, as a dedicated meeting will be held bringing together innovators and investors to showcase investment opportunities and required funding amounts, with sector investors and venture capital funds attending to review proposals and select suitable opportunities.
Al-Mudaifer also said that the Kingdom signed an investment agreement for critical minerals with the US during the Crown Prince’s visit to Washington, adding that Maaden and MP Materials then announced an investment project in the critical minerals value chain at Jabal Sayid, one of the mining discoveries in the Kingdom near Madinah.
The project is one of the standout large-scale initiatives developed by the Kingdom’s mining, energy and industry sectors, along with the Saudi Geological Survey over an extended period. It is now under implementation to supply the world with additional rare earth elements used in many vital industries, most notably electric generators for electric vehicles, wind turbines for power generation, as well as a wide range of other industries, he added.
Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs
Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs, said that the Future Minerals Forum, scheduled to be held from January 13-15, will serve as a key platform for showcasing investment opportunities in the Kingdom’s mining sector. “This will be in addition to announcing new licensing tenders, revealing the results of the ninth licensing round, awarding licenses, and opening bid submissions for the tenth and eleventh rounds,” he added.
Saudi companies will benefit from the conference by showcasing their future strategies, such as Maaden and AMAK along with a number of companies that join the Saudi market each year. The conference provides them with opportunities to attract partners from service providers, suppliers, or investors, he stated, in an interview with Argaam on the sidelines of the press conference announcing details of the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum.
Al-Mudaifer also emphasized that FMF is a global platform that brings together the international mining sector in Riyadh, with the aim of boosting global mineral supplies amid the growing need to meet rising demand for critical and strategic minerals. He noted that this requires expanding supply and initiating production in countries that were not previously producers of these minerals, in addition to providing them at lower prices and costs than currently available—an effort that necessitates infrastructure availability.
Furthermore, the forum will host a ministerial meeting with more than 180 participants representing around 100 countries, including many UN member states—a significant number encompassing some of the world’s largest and most important economies, including 17 G20 countries, he added.
About 70% of the participants in the event will be leaders and ministers, in addition to 59 international organizations with significant influence and a key role in infrastructure provision, sustainability, standardization, and securing project financing. The conference will also bring together the heads of global trade and industry bodies—such as the International Copper Association, the World Gold Council, and the International Fertilizer Association—under one roof to discuss how to influence the global mining sector, according to the official.
Al-Mudaifer also pointed to the launch of the first forum led by the Bank of Montreal, one of the largest financiers of the mining sector, where investors and global and local mining companies—whether listed on stock markets or seeking to go public—will present their perspectives, needs, and future performance, enabling investors and investment funds to evaluate opportunities and make informed investment decisions.
This initiative is new to the Kingdom and had previously been limited to select locations such as Florida. It has now been brought to Saudi Arabia to serve Saudi and international investors and to facilitate access to financing from the global business sector, he added.
Regarding the technology sector, Al-Mudaifer highlighted that it represents a key area for investment, as a dedicated meeting will be held bringing together innovators and investors to showcase investment opportunities and required funding amounts, with sector investors and venture capital funds attending to review proposals and select suitable opportunities.
Al-Mudaifer also said that the Kingdom signed an investment agreement for critical minerals with the US during the Crown Prince’s visit to Washington, adding that Maaden and MP Materials then announced an investment project in the critical minerals value chain at Jabal Sayid, one of the mining discoveries in the Kingdom near Madinah.
The project is one of the standout large-scale initiatives developed by the Kingdom’s mining, energy and industry sectors, along with the Saudi Geological Survey over an extended period. It is now under implementation to supply the world with additional rare earth elements used in many vital industries, most notably electric generators for electric vehicles, wind turbines for power generation, as well as a wide range of other industries, he added.
