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Saudi Arabia Collaborates with Other Countries to Explore Critical Minerals in the Region

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources speaking to the audience during the ministerial meeting. (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources speaking to the audience during the ministerial meeting. (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
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Saudi Arabia Collaborates with Other Countries to Explore Critical Minerals in the Region

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources speaking to the audience during the ministerial meeting. (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources speaking to the audience during the ministerial meeting. (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)

Several ministers underlined the necessity of integrated work to explore the mining wealth in the region, including critical minerals, noting that Saudi Arabia has deployed extensive efforts in localizing and investing in this industry.

A ministerial meeting was held, on the sidelines of the third edition of the Future Minerals Forum, which kicked off on Tuesday in Riyadh under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Flow of investments

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef said that the sector was facing great challenges represented by the flow of investments, in addition to defining the nature of critical minerals on the one hand, and the means to extract them with high efficiency on the other, as well as economic aspects.

He added that the government aims for the mining sector to become the third pillar of industries, pointing to several achievements in this regard, including the geological survey project. He explained that a recent assessment of mineral resources would be announced during the conference, which exceeds the previously estimated amount of SAR 5 trillion ($1.3 trillion).

The minister noted that the Kingdom, after issuing the new mining investment system, witnessed a great demand from international mining companies to enter the local market.

He stressed that the new system was considered one of the best in the world in terms of transparency and clarity, as well as the speed of issuing necessary licenses and the relevant taxes that are considered the lowest among countries in the world.

Solar energy

In turn, the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Eng. Tarek El-Mulla, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the African continent was rich in various and critical minerals, pointing to the importance of exploiting these resources to work on transitional and solar energy, batteries and other materials that are necessary to reduce emissions and the use of fossil fuels.

Al-Mulla revealed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with his Saudi counterpart for technical and geological cooperation in potential manufacturing operations using natural resources in both countries, and also with regard to the training, research and studies.

Libyan Minister of Industry and Minerals Ahmed Abu Hisa said that his country was following the industrial revolution in the Kingdom, stressing that Libya aspires to have a share in these investments in the field of manufacturing, innovation, research and geological development.

Supply chains

Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Eng. Khaled Al-Mudaifer emphasized the possibility to create unprecedented opportunities out of the challenges facing the sector, with the aim to increase investments and build capabilities to meet the growing global demand.

The goal of the ministerial meeting is to support supply chains by focusing on increasing investments and capacity building, he said, stressing the need for integrated work to meet the need for building materials and infrastructure.

“We will build a global framework for minerals in order to set policies and accelerate exploration and extraction operations, as we are on the verge of a new era in the mining sector and metals industry,” Al-Mudaifer told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Future Minerals Forum 2024, which is held on Jan. 10-11, is hosting more than 15,000 participants from 145 countries, and more than 200 speakers, including CEOs of major companies working in the mining industry, the metals and the finance sector.

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Saudi Arabia Advances Climate Action at 2024 SGI Forum with $60 Million in New Funding

A night view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
A night view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Advances Climate Action at 2024 SGI Forum with $60 Million in New Funding

A night view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
A night view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)

The fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum kicked off on Tuesday, coinciding with the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh.

Held under the theme "Action is in our Nature," the first day of the 2024 SGI Forum witnessed the announcement of five new initiatives, valued at $60 million (SAR225 million), reinforcing Saudi Arabia's leading role in climate and environment efforts.

With total investment exceeding $188 billion (SAR705 billion), the 86 initiatives activated as part of SGI are delivering tangible progress towards the aims of all three Rio Conventions. The Saudi Green Initiative is a key vehicle to deliver Saudi Arabia's goal to create a greener future for all by reducing emissions, combating desertification and safeguarding natural ecosystems.

The Kingdom is advancing towards net zero by 2060, driven by the Circular Carbon Economy approach. Central to this effort is the Saudi Green Initiative's target to reduce emissions by 278 million tons annually and optimize the domestic energy mix to achieve nearly 50% of electricity generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030.

In line with these goals, Saudi Arabia plans to increase renewable energy capacity to 130 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Of this capacity, 6.2 GW is already connected to the grid, and 20 GW of projects were launched this year. Currently, 44.2 GW are under development—enough to supply more than 7 million homes with clean electricity.

To achieve the goal of displacing over one million barrels of liquid fuel daily, highly efficient gas-fired power stations with carbon capture readiness will provide a total capacity of 42 GW of electricity generation capacity. Four stations with a capacity of 5.6 GW are already operational, and 9 GW are under construction across five stations. An additional 21 GW has been awarded for construction, and 6 GW is to be tendered in 2025.

Construction is underway on one of the world's largest carbon capture, transport, and storage centers in Jubail, targeting the capture of 9 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2027. Additionally, the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program continues to achieve substantial energy savings and contribute to sustainable economic development, reducing approximately 539,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily by the end of 2023—a 9.5% increase compared to 2022.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia has planted over 100 million trees and shrubs since the launch of SGI in 2021, alongside dispersing millions of seeds to expand green coverage further and combat sand encroachment.

The Kingdom has also rehabilitated over 118,000 hectares of degraded land—an area larger than 165,000 FIFA-regulation-sized football fields—advancing the interim goal of rehabilitating 8 million hectares by 2030.

Five new initiatives, led by Ma'aden, Morooj Foundation in partnership with the private sector, and the Tanmiah Food Company, represent a $60 million (SAR225 million) investment to accelerate afforestation efforts. These initiatives aim to plant millions of trees and mangroves, scatter 300 million seeds, rehabilitate degraded land, reduce air pollution, and enhance biodiversity across the Kingdom.

Through its afforestation efforts, Saudi Arabia aims to safeguard current and future generations by providing essential protection against extreme heat. These efforts mark a pivotal step toward the country's long-term goal of growing 10 billion trees, enhancing resilience to desertification and improving the quality of life across the Kingdom.

To date, 18.1% of Saudi Arabia's land and 6.49% of its marine environments—spanning nearly 400,000 km²—are under protection, advancing the Kingdom's target of safeguarding 30% of its land and marine areas by 2030.

Saudi Arabia's conservation efforts also reached a series of historic milestones. Since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021, over 7,000 endangered species, including the Arabian oryx, Arabian and sand gazelles, and Nubian ibex, have been rewilded in the Kingdom's nature reserves.

In 2024, four cheetah cubs were born—the first in Saudi Arabia in over 40 years—marking a significant achievement under the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy. Additionally, over 110 endangered red-necked ostrich chicks hatched in wildlife breeding centers in 2024, signaling the success of the species' reintroduction, which went extinct in the wild 100 years ago.

The Ibex Reserve and King Salman Royal Nature Reserve were also added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List, further recognizing Saudi Arabia's progress in implementing effective management and conservation programs.