Saudi Arabia Inks Mining Agreements with Several Govts at Fourth Future Minerals Forum

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed a series of MoUs and cooperation agreements with six countries during the fourth Ministerial Roundtable, the flagship opening meeting of the Future Minerals Forum. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed a series of MoUs and cooperation agreements with six countries during the fourth Ministerial Roundtable, the flagship opening meeting of the Future Minerals Forum. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Inks Mining Agreements with Several Govts at Fourth Future Minerals Forum

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed a series of MoUs and cooperation agreements with six countries during the fourth Ministerial Roundtable, the flagship opening meeting of the Future Minerals Forum. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed a series of MoUs and cooperation agreements with six countries during the fourth Ministerial Roundtable, the flagship opening meeting of the Future Minerals Forum. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed on Tuesday a series of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements with six countries during the fourth Ministerial Roundtable, the flagship opening meeting of the Future Minerals Forum.

The meeting marked a significant step in advancing international partnerships and fostering the development of the Kingdom's mining and minerals sector.

The agreements were signed by Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, and Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Eng. Khalid Al-Mudaifer.

The counterpart signatories included the minister of energy and natural resources from Djibouti, the minister of energy and mineral resources from Jordan, the secretary of state for business and trade from the United Kingdom, and the minister of mines and mineral development from Zambia.

Additional agreements were signed with the Ministry of Finance of Austria and the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France.



Saudi Firm Manara May Invest in Pakistan's Reko Diq Mine

Trucks working in a mineral mine (Saudi Public Investment Fund)
Trucks working in a mineral mine (Saudi Public Investment Fund)
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Saudi Firm Manara May Invest in Pakistan's Reko Diq Mine

Trucks working in a mineral mine (Saudi Public Investment Fund)
Trucks working in a mineral mine (Saudi Public Investment Fund)

Saudi Arabian mining company Manara Minerals could invest in Pakistan's Reko Diq mine in the next two quarters, Pakistani Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said on Tuesday.

Manara, a joint venture between state-controlled miner Ma'aden and the $925-billion Public Investment Fund (PIF), was set up as part of the Kingdom's efforts to diversify its economy away from oil, including by buying minority stakes in assets overseas.

“I'm very hopeful that in the next quarter or two we will have very big announcements,” Malik said on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, adding they would be copper-related.

“So we're very hopeful that this year, we will make some big announcements, both in the way of Reko Diq, but hopefully also” in mines around it, he added.

Asked if Manara would be involved, Malik said, “why not, of course.”

Executives from Manara visited Pakistan in May last year for talks about buying a stake in the Reko Diq mine, considered one of the world's largest underdeveloped cooper-gold areas by global mining company Barrick Gold, which owns the project jointly with Pakistan.

Manara's then-acting chief executive Robert Wilt, now CEO of Ma'aden, told Reuters that a stake in Reko Diq was among several opportunities the company was evaluating.