Saudi Arabia to address energy transition and supply chain challenges in the minerals industry
CAIRO: Saudi Arabia will host the second edition of the Future Minerals Forum from January 10-12 to discuss upcoming trends and challenges in the minerals industry.
Taking place at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, the FMF will gather global mining leaders, including government officials and business executives.
With over 200 speakers and 13,000 attendees, the event will focus on creating responsible and resilient minerals and metals supply and value chains in Africa, Western and Central Asia.
The FMF is expected to tackle a range of topics, including sustainability, the future of mining, energy transformation, the contribution of minerals to the development of society, digital transformation and integrated value chains.
The Forum will begin with a ministerial roundtable on 10 January to gather high-level government officials and non-governmental organizations in the mining industry.
new frontiers
The two-day event will host leaders from more than 100 countries to discuss five key themes: “The World Today,” “The Region,” “Decarbonizing Supply Chains,” “Digital and New Technologies” and “Communities and the Future.” workforce.”
“World of Today” sets out to point out the region’s mineral development in a global context, the implications of war in Europe for future mineral supplies, and economic, environmental and political developments affecting the region’s industry.
“The Zone” will open the space for more in-depth discussion about the future of critical mineral supply and demand, discovering mineral hot spots and translating conversations into action.
Renewable energy, accountability, traceability and supply chain electrification are set to be the core of “decarbonizing supply chains”.
“Digital and New Technologies” will re-imagine the mining sector through innovation and digitisation, while “Communities and the workforce of the future” will explore diversity, skills development and leadership in the industry.
On 11 January, the Forum will host a number of fireside chats, live interviews and panel discussions, starting with the sub-theme “Land Opportunities: Enabling Mineral Development in Africa, Western and Central Asia”.
The event will then move on to the second sub-theme, “Repurposing Minerals for the Energy Transition”, followed by the third and longest sub-theme: “Towards Creating Regional Centers of Excellence Part 1.”
highlighted
• The two-day event will see leaders from over 100 countries discuss five key themes: ‘The World Today’, ‘The Region’, ‘Decarbonizing Supply Chains’, ‘Digital and New Technologies’ and ‘Communities and the Future Workforce.’
• Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhoraif will set the scene on January 11 with an opening presentation on ministerial roundtable discussion topics and lay the groundwork for the 2023 Forum.
• Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman will be the guest of a live interview on Saudi Arabia’s role as a global leader in renewable energy supply.
• On January 12, the Forum will host two workshops and panel discussions on the importance of education in the region.
• The event will include a Mining Tech Zone, Marketplace, Think Tank and a Global Connect programme.
• FMF 2023 has partnered with development partner Institute, Clerio, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Energy Studies, and the Payne Institute to provide dynamic insights into the sector’s developments.
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhoraif will set the scene on January 11 with an opening presentation on the topics of the ministerial roundtable discussion and lay the groundwork for the 2023 Forum.
Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister Khaled Al-Falih and Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan will be joined by Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek Al-Molla, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Karabek Uskenbayev, Antoinette N’Samba, among others. Congo’s Minister of Mines and UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industry Grant Shapps in a panel discussion on the role of governments in the mineral industry.
sustainability leadership
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman will be the guest of the live interview on Saudi Arabia’s role as a global leader in renewable energy supply.
On January 12, the Forum will host two workshops and panel discussions on the importance of education in the region.
Saudi Education Minister Yousef Al-Benayan will be interviewed on providing a skilled workforce for the new era of minerals in the Kingdom and the region.
The second day of the forum will also host Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, who will outline the Kingdom’s ambition towards sustainability.
Other interesting discussions included “Innovations and Initiatives to Support the New Mineral Industry in Saudi Arabia” and “Towards COP28: Putting Minerals on the Frontline Against Climate Change”.
The key objectives of the FMF are to shape the future of mineral development and attract investment in the sector through panel discussions and three workshops.
future technologies
A big part of the forum will be the exhibition which will host an exclusive lineup of international and regional mining, technology, engineering, equipment and energy companies showcasing from all aspects of exploration to the processing of essential minerals.
This year’s event will also feature a new dedicated Digital Zone showcasing the latest current and future technologies. In addition, the event will also have an outdoor exhibition and a dedicated space to showcase investment opportunities in the emerging mining sector of Africa, West and Central Asia.
The event will include a mining technology arena, marketplace, think tank and a global networking event.
“We have the platform here to begin the journey to go beyond compliance and build sustainable practices that we can share with the region and the world,” said Khalid Al-Mudaifar, Deputy Minister of Mining Affairs in Saudi Arabia. Everything is there.” in a statement.
Launched in 2022 by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the FMF is designed to advance and unlock mining opportunities from Africa to West and Central Asia.
The Forum has partnered with several global leaders to ensure the success of the event and enable think tanks to further fuel thought generation on the future of the mining sector.
FMF 2023 has partnered with development partner Institute, Clerio, the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and the Payne Institute to deliver dynamic insights into the sector’s developments.