Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference will open in Riyadh on Tuesday under the theme “Minerals: Meeting the Challenges of a New Era of Development.”
Around 200 exhibiting and sponsoring entities are expected to participate, paving the way for the signing of approximately 150 memoranda of understanding and strategic agreements.
Organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the three-day conference aims to bring together governments, mining companies, financial institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations to strengthen global dialogue on the future of the minerals sector.
Strategic pillars
This year’s conference is built around three strategic pillars designed to transform challenges into regional and international opportunities. The first focuses on developing innovative financing models for infrastructure, enabling the activation of seven major mineral corridors in Africa and South America, with the potential for expansion to other regions.
The second pillar centers on capacity-building in mineral-producing countries through the establishment of a global network of centers of excellence specializing in geology, innovation, sustainability, workforce development, and regulatory frameworks.
The third pillar aims to boost transparency across manufacturing value chains through the launch of a pilot system for tracking mineral supply chains, which could later be scaled globally.
International ministerial meeting
As in previous editions, the conference will open with an international ministerial meeting for ministers responsible for mining, reinforcing its position as the largest multilateral governmental platform in the sector.
Participation this year is expected from 100 countries, up from 90 in the previous edition, including 16 G20 members and around 50 international organizations, among them the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Council on Mining and Metals, the UN Industrial Development Organization, and the International Organization for Standardization.
Last year’s meeting produced several landmark initiatives, including agreement on an international framework for critical minerals to strengthen global supply chains and the launch of a network of centers of excellence spanning Africa, West Asia, and Central Asia.
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef said the fifth edition of the conference would further consolidate the Kingdom’s role as a global leader in shaping the future of mining and minerals, attracting investment, and ensuring responsible and secure mineral supplies.
He described the event as a call for collective action and a platform for building new partnerships.
The previous edition witnessed the signing of 126 agreements and memoranda of understanding worth SR107 billion ($28.5 billion), alongside four strategic projects. These included a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Maaden to explore critical minerals for the energy transition, a potential expansion of the Mansourah–Massarah mine, new discoveries at Wadi al-Jaw and the Shiban deposits, the acquisition of Al Rajhi Steel Industries by Hadeed, and plans to build the first fully integrated steel plant outside China in partnership with Baosteel, Aramco, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Outlook for the minerals sector
Coinciding with the conference, organizers released the Future Minerals Indicators Report, offering a comprehensive assessment of the global minerals sector amid surging demand driven by the energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and mounting supply-chain pressures.
The report stressed that minerals have become a strategic pillar of energy security and long-term industrial development, calling for a shift from diagnosis to implementation through clear policies, targeted investment, and broader international cooperation.
