Saudi Arabia Sets Stage For Fourth Future Minerals Forum In January 2025

Saudi Arabia will host the fourth Future Minerals Forum (FMF) from January 14 to 16, 2025, at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh. This event is under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The FMF, organised by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, serves as a global platform for discussing minerals' role in development and energy transition. It brings together top decision-makers to address significant challenges in the sector.

Focus on Investment Opportunities

His Excellency Mr. Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, highlighted that FMF 2025 aims to create and drive investment opportunities in mining and minerals. He noted that FMF has become a crucial forum for stakeholders, including governments, mining companies, financial institutions, and academic entities.

Alkhorayef emphasised the conference's role in addressing challenges within the mining sector and providing solutions at both regional and international levels. "The upcoming Ministerial Roundtable will engage participation from 100 countries," he added.

Ministerial Roundtable and Conference Highlights

The event will commence with a government-led Ministerial Roundtable on January 14, followed by the Conference and Exhibition on January 15-16. Participants will hear from experts on various topics and view exhibitions showcasing the latest mineral innovations.

This year's program will focus on new voices in critical minerals, downstream perspectives, regional insights from Africa, Western and Central Asia, Latin America, investment partnerships across the mineral value chain, societal contributions of minerals, green technology advancements, AI revolution, and country-specific showcases.

Notable Speakers Confirmed

Several prominent figures are confirmed to speak at FMF 2025. These include Tom Palmer (CEO of Newmont Corporation), Jonathan Price (President and CEO of Teck Resources), Dominic Barton (Chairman of Rio Tinto), Mark Cutifani (Chairman of Vale Base Metals), Robert Friedland (Founder and Co-CEO of Ivanhoe Mines), Bob Wilt (CEO of Ma'aden), Jeremy Weir (Chairman and CEO of Trafigura), and Duncan Wanblad (CEO of Anglo American).

Past Achievements

Since its inception in 2022, FMF has promoted collaboration among mineral-producing nations. The third edition saw over 14,000 participants from 133 countries. It included ministers, senior officials, leaders from international organisations, and executives from global mining companies. The forum also resulted in signing 75 mineral deals worth approximately SAR 75 billion.

The Ministerial Roundtable participants agreed on four initiatives: developing a regional critical minerals framework for global collaboration; creating green metals hubs powered by renewable energy; establishing a framework for responsible mineral production; and setting up centres of excellence in Africa, Western Asia, and Central Asia for capacity building across mineral value chains.

The FMF continues to be a vital platform for fostering sustainable development and innovation within the global mineral sector. The upcoming forum promises to build on past successes while introducing new initiatives aimed at driving impact in the industry.