H.E. Bandar Al Khorayef

Saudi Arabia

His Excellency Mr. Bandar Alkhorayef, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, eagerly anticipates welcoming you in January 2025, alongside over 9,000 attendees from more than 145 countries to the Future Minerals Forum (FMF)—the largest mineral gathering of global repute. Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of the world’s leading forum for shaping the future of minerals.

This will be our fourth convening, and, driven by the successes of our previous Forums, we have high expectations for what we will achieve in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders.

What can you expect from FMF 2025?

At the inaugural edition of the FMF in 2022, we held the first Ministerial Roundtable, attended by representatives from over 60 countries, including ministers and high-level officials. We established a consensus on the critical importance of minerals and metals to the world’s sustainable development and agreed to create a lasting partnership. I am delighted that we will host the fourth edition of such a meeting at the start of 2025—building on our record of progress from last year.

Earlier this year, we launched four initiatives to enhance cooperation and coordination in the mineral sector. These include, setting out principles for creating a Super Regional critical minerals framework; developing centers of excellence to build capacity; defining the region’s expectations for responsible supply that reflect its stages of development and local realities; and establishing green metals hubs enabled by new clean energy technologies.

We are part of a Super Region that aspires to move from exporting raw materials to creating and retaining more value locally. Our vision is to become a hub of innovation and responsible production, build human capital, and evolve from rule-takers to rule-shapers. The Future Minerals Forum has emerged as the voice of the region, and I invite you to bring your expertise and join us in shaping the future of the minerals industry in this rapidly growing part of the world.

The Centers of Excellence initiative is led by FMF in partnership with the King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). In September this year, FMF and KACST hosted a workshop in Riyadh with global experts to define the scope of work for regional centers of excellence and develop an executable plan. The scope covers individual development, knowledge sharing, data transparency and security, environmental and social operating licenses, the mine of the future, and transforming the mining sector's image for future generations. I am pleased to announce that in January, the team will present this plan at our third Ministerial Roundtable, inviting participating countries to adopt the framework.

Another initiative launched in 2023 was the establishment of value chains for green metals, supported by modern technologies. This initiative aims to identify potential future value chains based on local mining and processing advantages, the critical enabling factors required for developing these opportunities, and specific cooperation prospects for regional integration of value chains.

Beyond MRT, the FMF will offer unprecedented opportunities to hear from leading and senior voices in the metals and minerals industry. Many have shared their thoughts in this newsletter, providing a glimpse of what to expect during their speaking sessions and panel discussions in Riyadh. They represent diverse disciplines and interests across the minerals value chain but share a commitment to the central purpose of the Future Minerals Forum; creating resilient and responsible mineral value chains in Africa, Western, and Central Asia.

I hope these insights will encourage you to join us at FMF 2025, where we will bring together governments, businesses, and other stakeholders in a truly global conversation on the future of minerals.