Prime Highlight
- Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, held meetings with international ministers to expand cooperation in mining and related industries.
- The talks aimed to strengthen global partnerships, investment opportunities, and supply chain collaboration ahead of the Future Minerals Forum 2026 in Riyadh.
Key Facts
- Alkhorayef met with ministers from Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss joint mining projects, technical expertise exchange, and industrial growth.
- He also met WHO Regional Director Hanan Balkhi to explore cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medicine supply chains, and global health security.
Background
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef on Monday held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers from several countries at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, ahead of the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum 2026.
The meetings were attended by Deputy Minister for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer and focused on expanding international cooperation in mining, minerals, and related industries.
Alkhorayef met with Brazil’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, to discuss ways to work together in mining and minerals. He pointed out important opportunities for joint investments and shared projects.
In a separate meeting with Pakistan’s Minister of Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, the Saudi minister explored options to deepen strategic ties in the mining sector. The discussion focused on mineral industries that can support food security and industrial growth in both countries.
Alkhorayef also met Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, to review cooperation in mining and manufacturing. The two sides spoke about exchanging technical expertise and stressed Nigeria’s economic role in West Africa.
Talks were also held with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba. The meeting centred on joint investment opportunities and ways to help private companies tap into strategic mineral resources, strengthening global supply chains.
In addition, Alkhorayef met the World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhi. They discussed cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chains for medicines and vaccines, along with steps to improve global health security.
The meetings come ahead of the Future Minerals Forum, taking place in Riyadh from January 13 to 15. The forum brings together government leaders, industry experts and private firms to shape the future of the global mining sector.
Saudi officials said the event supports long-term growth in mining and reinforces the Kingdom’s position as a leading international hub for minerals and industrial partnerships.
