It will be held in Riyadh on January 9-11 in the presence of 80 countries.. Record number of participants at the third ministerial meeting of ministers concerned with mining affairs

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A press release from the Ministry of industry and mineral resources of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed that the third International Ministerial Meeting of ministers concerned with Mining Affairs will witness an unprecedented representation in terms of the number of ministers participating in it; more than 80 countries are expected to participate in this meeting so far, including 45 countries represented at the rank of minister, in addition to 20 official international organizations, 30 non-governmental organizations and 13 business federations.

This participation is a record given that the ministers concerned with Mining Affairs met with stakeholders in one meeting, which, according to the ministry's statement, represents a historic turning point for the global mining and minerals sector and the contribution of the major mining region stretching from Africa to West and Central Asia, and emphasizing the kingdom's leading role in this sector and this region.

The third International Ministerial Meeting, which will be held on January 9, 2024 in Riyadh, and the international mining conference is unique in its holding, aims to strengthen international cooperation on the production of strategic minerals that enter the transformation of the energy sector, modern technical sectors, and highlight the potential of the major mining region, through discussion and exchange of ideas and experiences between government representatives from ministers and high-level officials, international organizations at the United Nations, trade and business associations of mineral producers, as well as non-governmental organizations interested in sustainability and community development, to lay the foundations for the sustainable development of the world's mineral industry, and exploit the potential of the region In addition to building capacities and making the metal industry a major engine for achieving economic and social development globally.

In a statement to the deputy minister for Mining Affairs, Engineer Khalid Al-Mudaifer, stressed that the number of ministers who confirmed their attendance at the meeting reflects the political and economic weight of the Kingdom and reflects the increasing importance of minerals in recent years, and this large attendance indicates that the international mining conference has established its position as a leading global platform for shaping the future of minerals, and the presence of high-level government representation, from countries producing and consuming minerals, means that all governments from different countries of the world are aware of the importance of minerals nowadays, as countries seek to secure reliable supply chains for minerals, especially strategic minerals that programs and projects Energy transformation and related industries".

He added that the major mining region has the ability to provide the world with the minerals necessary for its prosperity and growth, as it is expected to play a major role in providing an estimated 3 billion tons of strategic minerals necessary to create the necessary infrastructure that the world needs to achieve the goals of zero emissions neutrality.

Among other things, the upcoming meeting will discuss the competition witnessed by the metals market at the international level and allowing countries, in the midst of this competition, to cooperate with each other, considering that this is the only way to provide what all countries of the world need from minerals, while producing countries, through this cooperation, can create high local value from their mineral resources that push their societies to further development and prosperity.

In this context, during the meeting, the steps taken to turn the discussions into practical starting points on the ground will be considered through the four main initiatives identified at the previous session of the ministerial meeting, which included the development of principles for the establishment of an international cooperation framework for Strategic Minerals, the development of regional centers of excellence to help build capacities, the construction of environmental and societal frameworks and transparent metrics to ensure the greatest benefit to the region from the expected growth in the extraction and production of minerals, and the establishment of green metal manufacturing centers in the Kingdom and the region based on harnessing clean energy technologies.

The international mining conference, which will begin its sessions and activities from January 10-11, is a global gathering to discuss the future of minerals and the future of mining in the world and how to increase the contribution of the greater region, which stretches from Africa to West and Central Asia. This year, 220 speakers will participate in its sessions, including senior executives of the largest mining companies and companies related to the minerals and finance sector. Approximately 13 thousand participants are expected to attend .