Saudi Arabia commits to a rapid and aggressive expansion in the mining sector, announcing a substantial $100 billion investment.
- Saudi Arabia last year increased the valuation of its unexploited mineral resources from $1.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion, boosted by the discovery of rare earth elements and metals.
- The kingdom on Wednesday announced a new mineral investment project valued at $100 billion, with $20 billion already in the final engineering phase or under construction.
- Investment in critical minerals mining and processing must be happening "as fast and furious as possible" in Saudi Arabia, its energy minister said at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh.
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — At its annual Future Minerals Forum in the capital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is making significant strides to establish itself as a key player in the global critical minerals sector, unveiling various agreements, investment initiatives, and new discoveries.
On Wednesday, Khalid al-Mudaifer, the Saudi vice minister of mining affairs, revealed plans for a substantial mineral investment initiative worth $100 billion. He also mentioned that $20 billion of this investment is currently in the final engineering stage or already under construction.
Although the vice minister refrained from sharing additional specifics, Saudi authorities have been in talks about ambitious plans to greatly enhance the nation's exploration efforts for lithium, alongside other essential minerals and rare earth elements such as copper, gold, zinc, phosphate, and nickel.
In early 2024, the kingdom's ministry of industry and mineral resources increased its estimate of the value of its unexploited mineral resources from $1.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion, boosted by the discovery of the aforementioned elements and metals. At the Future Minerals Forum in Jan. 2024, the Saudi government Next PageRecommend
