Riyadh Ministerial Meeting Of Arab Leaders On Mineral Resources Draws Participation From 100 Countries

The fifth ministerial meeting on mineral resources, held during the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, ended with several structural decisions. Ministers agreed to form a Permanent Ministerial Group, expand technical cooperation, and review progress on mineral supply initiatives during the 2026 International Mining Conference.

The gathering also reinforced mineral security as a shared responsibility among governments, investors, and industry. Discussions highlighted the need for reliable supply chains, stronger infrastructure, and transparent standards that reflect conditions in producing countries, all within the wider agenda of global economic and energy transitions.

One key decision was the creation of a Permanent Ministerial Group to guide the ministerial mining meeting and the Future Minerals Forum. The group will advise on strategic priorities, track delivery of existing programmes, and suggest new cooperative projects. Its membership will rotate between 17 countries, with balanced representation from producing, exporting, and consuming states.

Participants also examined preparations for the 2026 International Mining Conference. That event will assess the impact of initiatives launched since 2023 to support mineral supplies. It will promote wider adoption of the "Framework for the Future of Minerals", deepen dialogue with industry leaders, and build a roadmap that treats mineral security as a joint duty for all stakeholders.

The ministerial meeting took place from 13 to 15 January 2026, organised by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It carried the theme "Minerals for a New Era of Development," linking resource policy with broader development goals.

When the ministerial initiative started in 2022, it involved 32 governments. It has since grown to include ministers and senior officials from more than 100 countries and 59 organisations. All G20 members attended, together with major mineral-producing, exporting, and consuming nations, underlining demand for inclusive dialogue on practical, balanced solutions.

Attendance figures at the fifth meeting reflected this expansion. Representatives from 100 countries participated in the Riyadh sessions. The following table summarises the scale of participation and institutional growth since launch.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef opened the meeting by welcoming delegates and noting the event’s global reach. Alkhorayef described this edition as a major milestone for the largest gathering of its kind worldwide. He said the scale of participation reflects the growing international importance of the ministerial meeting and its expanding role in shaping the future of the global mining sector.

Alkhorayef stressed that minerals now sit at the centre of development plans worldwide. Achieving economic, industrial, and energy targets, Alkhorayef said, depends on secure and resilient mineral supply chains, underpinned by strong investment and advanced technologies. Alkhorayef also pointed to progress achieved over the previous five years through closer global cooperation.

The minister listed several challenges for the mining sector. These include slow project development, fragmented national policies, missing or weak infrastructure, and gaps in financing. Alkhorayef added that trust needs strengthening along the whole value chain, and argued that such issues require deeper international partnerships rather than isolated national measures.

Specific cooperation efforts highlighted by Alkhorayef included work with the World Bank Group. This collaboration focuses on addressing the exploration financing gap and placing infrastructure financing more firmly on the international agenda. Additional work aims to improve transparency by promoting standards that better reflect the circumstances and priorities of resource-producing states.

Capacity-building also featured in the minister’s announcements. Alkhorayef outlined plans for a network of centres of excellence in key supply regions. These centres will support talent development, sustainability practices, and technology adoption across the mining value chain, helping supply regions meet rising global demand for minerals used in energy and industrial systems.

As the meeting closed, Alkhorayef thanked technical experts who helped shape its outcomes. Alkhorayef expressed appreciation to more than 130 experts from 42 countries who contributed to developing and implementing the three core initiatives, describing their efforts as a cornerstone of the conference’s success. The decisions taken in Riyadh are expected to guide future cooperation through the Future Minerals Forum and related events.

With inputs from SPA