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WTTC’s Global Summit to Invest $10 Billion in Saudi Tourism

The 22nd edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit is currently held in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The 22nd edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit is currently held in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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WTTC’s Global Summit to Invest $10 Billion in Saudi Tourism

The 22nd edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit is currently held in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The 22nd edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit is currently held in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The 22nd edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit, currently held in Riyadh, emphasized the need to draw a road map for a sustainable and innovative future with the participation of the public and private sectors.

The council also revealed its intention to invest more than $10 billion in Saudi Arabia’s attractive tourism environment.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib stressed the need to unite the efforts of the international community to find solutions to the challenges facing the sector, pointing to the progress made by his country in order to develop the tourism industry and achieve high levels of flexibility and sustainability.

During a joint press conference held on Monday with Julia Simpson, CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Al-Khatib said: “We believe in the importance of partnerships… Therefore, we hope that the hosting of the Travel and Tourism Summit this year would contribute to unifying international efforts… through the influential contribution of the participants in this conference.”

The Saudi minister added that the priority focus on people and the sustainability of the planet’s resources will shape a new and promising future for the sector.

In this context, Al-Khatib noted that the Kingdom was now considered one of the best growing tourist destinations in the world, thanks to the directives of its leadership and the resources allocated to the sector.

Simpson, for her part, revealed that the members of the Council were planning, during the next five years, to launch huge investments worth more than $10.5 billion in Saudi Arabia.

“This event brings together the most prominent and important leaders and officials in the travel and tourism sector worldwide, with the aim of discussing ways to ensure the future of this sector in the long term, which is very important to the global economy, job creation, and the development of livelihoods in various parts of the world,” she told the press conference.

The summit, which continues until Thursday, is considered one of the most important travel and tourism events at the global level.

Speakers taking to the stage include former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK’s second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher, and the first to hold two of the Great Offices of State.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his speech to the World Summit, pointed to great efforts made during his tenure to support the sustainable development, emphasizing the active role of nations in paving the way for the signing the Paris Climate Agreement and mobilizing the efforts of world leaders to protect the environment and maintain climate balance.

Golden Globe Award-winning actor and film director Edward Norton, an advocate for renewable energy and a strong supporter of the African Wildlife Foundation, Norton will take part in a unique Q&A session.

Held under the theme, “Travel for a Better Future”, the event will focus on the value of the sector, not only to the global economy, but to the planet and communities around the world.

Within the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, Saudi authorities seek to create one million new job opportunities in the tourism sector, and to attract 100 million visitors to the Kingdom by 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s ambitions come in line with the ongoing global efforts to enhance the primary and vital role of the tourism sector in creating job opportunities for the future.

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Saudi Arabia: Global Mining Needs $6 Trillion in Investments to Meet Demand

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef speaks at the start of the event. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef speaks at the start of the event. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia: Global Mining Needs $6 Trillion in Investments to Meet Demand

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef speaks at the start of the event. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef speaks at the start of the event. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The global mining industry requires $6 trillion in investments over the next decade to meet rising demand, presenting a major challenge for the sector. This figure was revealed by Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef during an international meeting of mining ministers.

The announcement underscores the mining sector’s appetite for investments, coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s increasing focus on making mining the third pillar of its national industrial strategy.

The meeting was part of the Future Minerals Forum hosted by Saudi Arabia under the theme “Creating Impact,” which gathered representatives from nearly 90 countries and over 50 organizations. The conference highlighted the vital role of mining in Saudi Arabia and the global economy.

Key topics discussed included boosting value addition in mineral-producing countries and developing green metals using advanced technologies and renewable energy.

The ministerial meeting facilitated the signing of several memorandums of understanding aimed at strengthening international partnerships and advancing Saudi Arabia’s mining and minerals sector.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia increased its estimated untapped mineral wealth from $1.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion, a move intended to support the Kingdom’s efforts to diversify its economy.

Global mining investments

In his opening remarks, Al-Khorayef stated that the global mining industry would need investments of $6 trillion over the next decade to meet growing demand, particularly driven by the global energy transition. He emphasized that metals are the foundation of supply chains and are essential for meeting the increasing demand for critical materials.

The minister also stressed the importance of continuing three initiatives launched at last year’s conference, namely, the International Framework for Critical Minerals, a network of centers of excellence to build mining expertise in the Middle East, and a priority-based approach to supply chain development.

He proposed forming a ministerial-level steering committee to oversee these initiatives and called on multilateral organizations to develop a roadmap to mitigate investment risks and enhance collaboration.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the conference, Al-Khorayef said that Saudi Arabia is working closely with Arab countries, particularly those with established mining sectors like Morocco, Jordan and Egypt.

The minister highlighted the need for regional integration in mining, as companies often operate across multiple areas, stressing that mining is a key component of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly as the world shifts toward sustainable energy solutions and technologies that require large quantities of minerals.

Yonis Ali Guedi, Djibouti’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country had signed a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to enhance collaboration in the mining sector and exchange training expertise. The agreement also includes resource-sharing and highlights Djibouti’s need for Saudi investments, he added.

The minister underlined the significant role Saudi companies could play in developing Djibouti’s mining sector, while also acknowledging progress in local industries. On a broader level, Guedi pointed to the growth of Africa’s mining sector and underscored the importance of maintaining this momentum to meet global demand.

Focus on critical minerals

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, said that financing remains the greatest challenge for his country’s mining sector.

Exploration of critical minerals, he explained, requires significant investments with high risks, a challenge faced by many African nations. Bio underscored the importance of improving Sierra Leone’s infrastructure and value chain capabilities, from exploration to processing, and expressed interest in leveraging Saudi expertise in mining.

He added that Sierra Leone is seeking to strengthen international cooperation to create a comprehensive framework for critical minerals, with a focus on sustainability.

Malaysia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad highlighted that the key challenge for his country’s mining sector is its technological gap. He noted that advanced technologies for producing and processing rare earth minerals are concentrated in a few major countries, limiting Malaysia’s competitiveness in global markets.

The minister also pointed to geopolitical tensions disrupting global supply chains, which has complicated matters for countries like Malaysia that rely on trade with both China and the United States.

Despite these challenges, Ahmad stated that his country is working to boost its domestic processing capabilities for rare earth minerals, aiming to reduce its reliance on raw material exports.

Yemeni Minister of Minerals Dr. Saeed Al-Shamasi emphasized Yemen’s valuable mineral resources, including lithium, which is essential for batteries and renewable energy technologies. Yemen also holds reserves of copper and other strategic minerals.

He called for urgent foreign investments to develop the sector, given Yemen’s lack of advanced infrastructure. Al-Shamasi also highlighted Yemen’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia, noting the establishment of a Saudi-Yemeni Business Council to facilitate investment across various sectors.

International agreements

During the ministerial meeting, Al-Khorayef signed cooperation agreements with six countries: Djibouti, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Zambia, Austria and France. These agreements aim to strengthen international partnerships and advance the Kingdom’s mining sector.

The accompanying exhibition featured cutting-edge technologies and innovations in mining, promoting global collaboration to achieve sustainability in the sector.

Meanhwile, two global alliances, including local and international companies, won exploration licenses for six mining sites in Saudi Arabia during the seventh round of mining competitions, according to the Ministry’s statement on Tuesday.