More than 60 government ministers and delegations responsible for their countries’ minerals and metals strategies attended the second Ministerial Roundtable hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in the largest-ever meeting of its kind. The Roundtable, which took place today in Riyadh, will be followed by the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) 2023, which runs between 11 – 12 January 2023. FMF is conducted under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
21 international organizations also participated in the Roundtable, including the World Bank, the United Nations, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a 400-member NGO dedicated to nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
His Excellency Bandar Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, opened the meeting with a speech in which he welcomed participants and highlighted that the meeting reflected the vital role mining plays in shaping our transition to a sustainable future and equitable economic development. While the focus was on the super-region that stretches from Africa to Central Asia, he said: “I think it’s safe to say that mining interests all over the world are following what we discuss.”
His Excellency Al-Khorayef added: “When we convened the first Ministerial Roundtable a year ago, we intended to increase awareness of the potential for mineral-driven economic development across our region. We wanted to place this vast mineral heartland on the world’s net-zero transition stage. In our second event, interest has only increased. This shows our joint commitment to the net-zero transition and a resource-efficient, resilient and responsible future. It also demonstrates the challenge this change poses to our generation.”
Several ministers will participate in the conference sessions, most notably HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy; HE the Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih; HE the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, and HE the Vice-Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer.
