The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) is held by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources with the participation of governments, investors, financial institutes, service providers, and manufacturers. FMF focuses on the present and the future of the mining sector in the countries of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.
By holding the forum, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to establish a collaborative platform among regional countries to develop a future roadmap for achieving sustainable social and economic development. This will be accomplished by enhancing the efficiency and contribution of the mining sector and leveraging it as a primary economic driver in the countries of the region, based on the global significance of the mining sector, its impact on the economy, and its influence on the future of numerous industries essential to daily life.
FMF first edition
The first edition of the forum entitled "The Future of Minerals" was held from January 11 to 13, 2022, in Riyadh City. It brought together 3500 attendees and four thousand virtual participants from one hundred countries worldwide. The forum featured forty-panel discussions including speeches from about one hundred speakers representing government entities and international mining companies.
Participants in FMF discussed the future of the mining sector, the contribution of mining projects to community development, the enhancement of sustainability and clean energy systems, and the attraction of investments to the mining sector in the region. The forum also featured a concurrent exhibition that included country pavilions, such as the Saudi pavilion, represented by twelve government entities and thirty Saudi and international companies.
The forum's key axes focused on reimagining the mining sector by highlighting innovations that will drive future mining, the role of the mining industry in the future global economy, setting the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa as investment destinations and facilitating partnerships across integrated value chains, and the mining sector's contribution to society through its vital role in producing the inputs necessary for creating a low-carbon economy and attracting the workforce in the future.
The closing works of FMF resulted in the signing of five agreements and memoranda of understanding. On the first day, a meeting of Arab ministers responsible for mineral resources was held, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in collaboration with the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization. Moreover, the ministry announced that it had held roundtable meetings during the conference with representatives from thirty-two countries to explore investment opportunities in the mining sector within the Kingdom and across the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.
FMF second edition
The second edition of FMF was held from January 10 to 12, 2023, in Riyadh City. The forum sessions were attended by ministers, ambassadors, and heads of delegations from participating countries, in addition to over two hundred speakers and more than 12,000 investment leaders, chairmen of major mining companies, and experts from 130 countries.
The discussion sessions covered a range of topics, including the future of the mining sector, its contributions to community development, the enhancement of sustainability and clean energy systems, and attracting foreign direct investment to the region's mining sector. Additionally, the sessions explored increasing the region's contribution to the value and supply chains of strategic minerals, developing the region into an integrated hub for green metal production, and the role of modern technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in driving exploration and mining operations.
The forum witnessed the signing of sixty agreements and memoranda of understanding in the mining and minerals industry among numerous participating government entities, companies, and institutions. Additionally, the forum witnessed the awarding of exploration licenses for two mining sites in the Kingdom (al-Khunayqiyah and Umm ad-Damar) to the winning companies.
On the sideline of the form, a dedicated zone was established to showcase current and future mining technologies. Furthermore, an outdoor exhibition area and a special zone highlighted investment opportunities in Africa, West Asia, and Central Asia, which are considered promising mining regions.
More than thirty workshops were held on the forum's sidelines, covering various aspects of mining and the mining industry. A mining exploration forum was also held, showcasing the details of six mining opportunities in the Kingdom to international and national investors.
Before the forum, the Second Ministerial Roundtable was held with the participation of sixty-two countries represented by numerous ministers and high-level officials, in addition to the engagement of twenty-one international organizations and institutions interested in the industry.
FMF third edition
The third edition of FMF was held from January 9 to 11, 2024, in Riyadh City. The forum was attended by more than 14,000 participants, including investment leaders and chairmen of major mining companies from 133 countries, as well as one hundred sponsors and exhibitors. The forum featured seventy discussion panels with 250 speakers.
The forum discussions covered pressing issues within the mining sector, including advancements in the sector's future agenda, the dissemination of cutting-edge digital technologies, and the implementation of best sustainability standards. Additionally, the discussions delved into the variables and developments shaping the mining landscape, its impact on mineral and energy supplies in the region and globally, and the contribution of mining projects to community development.
The forum witnessed the announcement of new estimates for the Kingdom's uninvested mineral potential, which increased from USD1.3 trillion to USD2.5 trillion, representing a 90 percent increase. Moreover, the forum witnessed the signing of seventy-five agreements and memoranda of understanding, with a combined value exceeding SAR75 billion, in the mining and mineral industries. The forum also announced the winners of the fourth round of the mineral exploration licensing contest in the Kingdom (Umeq Well, Jabal al-Sahaybah, and Umm Hadid sites).
On the sidelines of the conference, a zone was set up to showcase the latest current and future mining technologies, an outdoor exhibition area, and a zone dedicated to presenting investment opportunities in African, West Asia, and Central Asian regions. Furthermore, the Mining Exploration Opportunities Forum was held with the participation of international mining exploration companies and national investment companies interested in the mining industry. During the forum, details of thirty-three mining opportunities in the Kingdom were presented to global and local investors, in addition to the launch of a new incentive package worth approximately SAR685 million (USD182 million) and the launch of a competition for the first mining location in the region in Jabal Sayid, spanning an area of four thousand km.
The forum was preceded by the third international ministerial meeting of ministers involved with mining affairs in the presence of representatives from seventy-five countries and thirty-five governmental and non-governmental organizations. The meetings discussed how to take practical steps to enhance cooperation between governments and international organizations and agreed to establish coordination and working groups comprising interested governments and organizations to consult within the framework of FMF.
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