RIYADH: Minerals are becoming a shared global priority as governments seek resilient supply chains to support growth, energy transitions and digital infrastructure, Saudi Arabia’s industry minister said.
Opening the ministerial roundtable at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Bandar Alkhorayef said the world is laying the groundwork for “a new era of global development, prosperity and stability through minerals,” framing the sector as a collective global cause rather than a narrow industrial issue.
Addressing ministers and senior officials, Alkhorayef highlighted the rapid expansion of the forum since its inaugural ministerial roundtable in 2022, when 32 countries gathered with a focus on Africa, West Asia and Central Asia.
He said this year’s meeting brought together representatives from more than 100 countries and 70 organizations, including all G20 supplier and customer nations, reflecting what he described as “the right dialogue with the right representatives at the right time and place.”
Alkhorayef credited the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for establishing a platform that has evolved into what he called “a global cause.”
