Saudi Arabia will host the fourth edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF), the world's leading platform for minerals, from January 14 to 16, 2025, under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The FMF, under the theme "Achieving Impact," will be organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh. It would focus on enhancing cooperation between mineral-producing countries, promoting sustainability initiatives to build trust, and creating a resilient supply chain for the vital minerals the world needs. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef stressed that the Saudi leadership's sponsorship of the FMF conference embodies its keenness and support to preserve the gains achieved by the conference during the past three editions and confirms the great interest the leadership gives to continue pushing the development movement in the mining and mineral industries sector worldwide. Alkhorayef said that the conference will focus on creating and stimulating investment opportunities in the sector, as it is a global platform for all stakeholders in the minerals sector, from governments to mining companies, financial institutions, research centers and academic institutions. Pointing out that the conference is a vital platform for discussing the challenges facing the mining and minerals sector, and reviewing the opportunities available at the regional and international levels in the field. "The upcoming ministerial round table will include participation from 100 countries, including working groups comprising government bodies and 40 organizations that will cooperate to implement the initiatives and strategies created during the last ministerial round table," the minister added. The Ministry of Industry also identified the topics to be discussed, including: reviewing the potential of new mining areas in the manufacturing sectors, attracting investments to the mining and processing sectors, in addition to examining the contribution of the minerals sector to community development and securing clean energy as a source of advanced technology. It is noteworthy that the third edition of the conference, which was held in January 2024, was attended by more than 14,000 investment leaders, heads of the largest mining companies, and technical experts and specialists in this field from 133 countries, in addition to 100 sponsors and exhibitors, while 250 speakers including ministers, ambassadors, and heads of delegations participated in about 70 sessions of the conference sessions. In the 3th edition new estimates of Saudi Arabia's untapped mineral potential were also announced, rising from SR 5 trillion to SR 9.3 trillion, an increase of 90 percent, in addition to signing 75 agreements with a total value exceeding SR 75 billion in the field of mining industries. These agreements included the fields of mining exploration, financing, technology, application of sustainability standards, and investment in supply chains.
