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UK, Saudi Arabia to Work Together on Critical Minerals, Clean Energy

Part of the annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining in Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
Part of the annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining in Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
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UK, Saudi Arabia to Work Together on Critical Minerals, Clean Energy

Part of the annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining in Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
Part of the annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining in Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat

The UK Minister of State for Industry, Sarah Jones, revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat a plan to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in clean energy industries and advanced manufacturing. She announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kingdom to support UK's new Industrial Strategy.

Jones is leading a delegation of 16 companies taking part in The Future Minerals Forum (FMF), a two-day international mining conference held in Riyadh.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, on the sidelines of the Fourth Annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining, held in conjunction with the conference, Jones described the conference as the most significant critical minerals event in the Middle East and North Africa, emphasizing its importance as an opportunity to boost UK-Saudi ties, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit last December.

Below is the full text of the interview:

Why are you attending the Future Minerals Forum at KSA?

Not only is the Future Minerals Forum the most significant critical minerals event in the Middle East and North Africa region, I see it as a valuable opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Saudi Arabia following Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s visit in December.
I’ll be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia to boost collaboration between our nations as we recognise the importance of critical minerals for our national security, benefitting economic growth which is our number one priority in government.
I’m also meeting Saudi businesses, international companies and a range of stakeholders, to highlight that the UK is a truly global economy. We’re open for business and determined to deliver investment into infrastructure and our supply chains to achieve the economic growth we need in every part of the UK.

What are you hoping to achieve from this visit?

Through signing this partnership with Saudi Arabia, we’re supporting the work the UK is doing with our new Industrial Strategy. As part of this 10-year plan, we have identified eight high-growth sectors, including clean energy industries and advanced manufacturing, to prioritise in growing the economy. We are proudly outward-looking and internationalist, and this Strategy will deliver the long-term stability and certainty businesses and investors need to show the UK is a mature trading partner.
We can boost growth further by increasing domestic production through mining, midstream processing and through recycling critical minerals, building on world-leading innovation and technical expertise in our chemicals and metals sectors.
As the Minister for Industry, I’m promoting these opportunities to major mining companies from the UK and Saudi Arabia, exploring the areas for collaboration throughout the supply chain.

What are the opportunities for the UK and Saudi working together on critical minerals?

Critical minerals are essential for a wide range of everyday items from cars to smartphones, and by 2040, the UK will need four times as many of them as we do today.
That’s why I’m leading a trade mission of 16 UK companies to showcase their expertise on the world stage here in Riyadh, where they will meet partners and potentially new customers from around the globe.
With Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans for critical minerals under Vision 2030, and the UK’s new Critical Minerals Strategy coming later this year, we can forge closer ties and support each other’s ambitions with investment in lithium, tin and tungsten mining in the UK, as well as in the midstream processing for rare earths.
There are several other opportunities for the UK and Saudi to work together to secure our supply chains, including through our Centres of Excellence, joint critical minerals projects, and with investment into the critical minerals supply chain.

What does the MoU signing mean for the UK-KSA economic relationship and for the wider UK-Gulf relationship?

Through signing this agreement with Saudi Arabia, we’re showing our strong intent to deepen our collaboration on critical minerals. Even with increased domestic production, the UK will still rely on imports of critical minerals. That’s why it's vital that by developing our UK-Saudi economic relationship, we will meet our needs and help diversify our critical mineral supply chains.
The Memorandum of Understanding will provide us a framework for deepening cooperation, and we look forward to working with Saudi Arabia to develop this into new collaborative projects.

What will the new Critical Minerals Strategy focus on and what do you hope it will achieve?

Our new Critical Minerals Strategy will be released this year and will be more ambitious, more targeted and more international than previous strategies.
To drive growth and investment into our most important sectors, we need to ensure resilience for critical minerals by maximising domestic production through mining, refining, and recycling – and that means working together with countries like Saudi Arabia to maximise the opportunities in securing the supply chain.
Through building on the already established partnerships like Saudi Arabia, and new relationships with other partners, we're ensuring that we’re supporting the industries of tomorrow, delivering for businesses and creating new jobs across the UK.

What about the coming Great Future for the two nations?

The GREAT FUTURES launch event in May was a huge success in so far as it supported multiple partnerships between UK and Saudi businesses on projects that are now delivering tangible results for both our Kingdoms. The UK led a delegation of 450 businesses, the largest UK trade mission in a decade, and the largest ever from the UK to The Kingdom. This resulted in more than 50 MoU’s and agreements signed across various priority sectors, with Ministers from both countries agreeing to grow total trade from £17bn in 2022 to £30bn by 2030.

We’re now capitalising on that success with a 12-month program of events that will provide more opportunities for UK-Saudi collaboration across priority sectors such as trade, investment, tourism, education and cultural engagement, all in support of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. In addition to these programs, we aim to deliver a one year on summit in London this summer to mark one year since the campaign began. This landmark event will once again convene UK and Saudi senior government and business decision-makers to develop further partnerships between our two countries, while reaffirming and strengthening our bilateral relationship.

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Interviews

Al-Sharaa to Asharq Al-Awsat: Revolution Ended with Regime’s Fall, Will Not Be Exported

Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
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Al-Sharaa to Asharq Al-Awsat: Revolution Ended with Regime’s Fall, Will Not Be Exported

Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the head of the new Syrian administration, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian revolution ended with the regime's fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere.”

He stressed that Syria “will not be used to attack or destabilize any Arab or Gulf country.”

Speaking from the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Thursday, Al-Sharaa said the Syrian opposition’s actions had “set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years.”

Asked why Syria has yet to send a direct message to the Gulf and major Arab nations, Al-Sharaa responded by saying that his country has much to say to its Arab neighbors.

“Syria had become a platform for Iran to control key Arab capitals, spread wars, and destabilize the Gulf with drugs like Captagon,” he said.

He added: “By removing Iranian militias and closing Syria to Iranian influence, we’ve served the region’s interests—achieving what diplomacy and external pressure could not, with minimal losses.”

Al-Sharaa also criticized efforts to restore ties with the former Syrian regime, including its return to the Arab League in exchange for concessions.

“We were confident this would fail because we knew the regime would not make any genuine concessions or approach these overtures in good faith,” he said.

He claimed that during a meeting with Jordanian officials, the former regime was asked why it insisted on exporting Captagon to Jordan.

“The response was that it would not stop unless sanctions were lifted," Al-Sharaa said, adding “this is not how the regime operates.”

He emphasized that Gulf strategic security has since improved. “Today, the Iranian project in the region has been pushed back 40 years, making the Gulf more secure and stable.”

When asked if he would give reassurances on Syria not becoming a refuge for certain figures, Al-Sharaa dismissed concerns about hosting figures who cause concern for some Arab nations, saying Syria will not become a haven for controversial individuals.

“We are now focused on state-building. The revolution ended with the regime's fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere. Syria will not be a platform to threaten or unsettle any Arab or Gulf country,” he said.

Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria seeks to rebuild and strengthen ties with Arab nations. “Syria is tired of wars and being used for others’ agendas. We want to restore trust and rebuild our country as part of the Arab world.”

He praised the Gulf’s progress, saying: “We admire the development in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia’s bold plans and vision, and we aspire to achieve similar progress for Syria.”

He added: “There are many opportunities for cooperation, especially in economic and developmental areas, where we can align our goals.”

On Syria’s relationship with its neighbor Lebanon, Al-Sharaa acknowledged concerns raised by Lebanese counterparts about him reaching Damascus, fearing it could strengthen one faction over another in Lebanon.

“We are not seeking any form of dominance over Lebanon,” he said. “We want a relationship based on mutual respect and exchange, without interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs. We have enough work to do in our own country.”

Al-Sharaa emphasized Syria’s intention to maintain balanced relations, saying he aims “to stand equally with all Lebanese groups, and what pleases them, pleases us.”

Al-Sharaa was asked about a national dialogue conference and a new constitution to guide Syria’s future, and the mechanism that he plans to ensure inclusivity for all Syrians in the process, especially among the base of supporters and fighters who do not necessarily agree with his current moderate speech.

Al-Sharaa acknowledged differing opinions but emphasized he does not want to impose his personal views on Syrians.

“I believe in letting legal experts shape the relationship between citizens, with the law as the guide,” he said.

“Syria is diverse, and it's natural for there to be different opinions. This difference is healthy.”

Al-Sharaa stressed that the recent victory is for all Syrians, not one group over another.

“Even those we thought were loyal to the old regime expressed joy, as they had not been able to openly express their feelings before,” he noted.

He expressed confidence that Syrians, regardless of their background, are aware enough to protect their country.

“My aim is to reach a broad agreement and build a country where the rule of law helps resolve our differences,” Al-Sharaa concluded.

On the complex issue of forced disappearances and individuals missing in prisons and mass graves, Al-Sharaa said the previous regime was a criminal gang, not a political system.

“We fought a brutal group that committed crimes like arrests, forced disappearances, killings, displacement, starvation, chemical attacks, and torture,” he said.

He stressed that while the regime is gone, the focus should be on justice, not revenge.

“We must not approach this with a desire for vengeance,” he said.

Al-Sharaa stated that those responsible for crimes like the Saydnaya prison and chemical attacks must be held accountable.

“Their names are known and they must be pursued,” he said. He also affirmed that families have the right to file complaints against unknown perpetrators.

Al-Sharaa outlined efforts to address the issue of missing persons. “We’ve broken the barriers, and specialized organizations are now helping with this task,” he said.

A new ministry will be set up to track the fate of the missing, both the deceased and the living.

“This will also assist families with documents like death certificates and inheritance,” he added.

He acknowledged the challenge ahead but emphasized the need to uncover the truth. “This is a big task, but we must find the truth,” Al-Sharaa said.

When asked about hosting the interview at the People’s Palace, the same location where Bashar al-Assad once sat, Al-Sharaa responded with a light-hearted laugh.

“To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable at all,” he said. “But this is a place that should be open to the people, a site where they can visit and where children can play in these courtyards.”