Riyadh to host sixth edition of Future Minerals Forum in January 2027

FMF 2027 builds on the success of its previous five editions in facilitating global dialogue and collaboration across the mining and minerals sector. Its fifth edition, held in January 2026, welcomed senior government representatives from 91 countries and more than 64 governmental and non-governmental organisations, alongside 21 500 participants from 175 countries.

The Forum also saw the signing of 132 agreements and MoUs worth more than US$26.7 billion (SAR 100 billion), bringing the cumulative total across five editions to 398 agreements and MoUs valued at over US$75.2 billion (SAR 282 billion).

The sixth edition will focus on mobilising finance, accelerating project development, and shortening the time needed to bring projects into production to increase mineral supply and accelerate the development of value chains within the Kingdom and across emerging supplier regions, including the Super Region spanning Africa, West and Central Asia, and Latin America.

FMF 2027 will be headlined by its government-led Ministerial Roundtable, which will convene senior government representatives, industry leaders, multilateral organisations, academic and financial institutions, and stakeholders from across the mineral value chain to drive collective action on the future of minerals.

The Forum will also feature expanded ‘Gateway to Funding’ activities to showcase investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the other regions, financing instruments and collaboration models, while connecting investors with scalable projects. ‘State of the Sector’ sessions, an extension of the Future Minerals Barometer, will provide global commodity outlooks, market trends and strategic insights to support decision-making by governments, industry leaders, and investors.

Specialised Leadership Roundtables and Knowledge Exchange meetings will explore regional challenges around mineral supply resilience and develop practical solutions to strengthen supply chains.

FMF has been instrumental in moving discussions around the future of minerals from ambition and consensus to partnerships, investment, and projects. It has equally showcased Saudi Arabia’s mining and industrial opportunities to governments, investors and industry leaders, connecting these opportunities with international capital, technology, and expertise.

Over its first five editions, the Forum has evolved alongside significant developments in the Kingdom’s mining sector. These include increased mining opportunities through its transparent tender licensing rounds, and advanced projects across mineral industries, including aluminium, iron and steel, titanium, and others. The Kingdom has also launched several programmes to support industrial and mining services, capacity building, and innovation.

This progress has been matched by significant growth in mineral exploration. Saudi Arabia’s total exploration expenditure increased from US$54.7 million (SAR 205 million) in 2020 to US$362.7 million (SAR 1.36 billion) in 2025, reaching a record high, while the number of active exploration companies grew from six to 191 over the same period.

Moreover, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, recently announced at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna that exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid Rare Earth Elements (REEs) Project in the Madinah Region had revealed estimated resources of 114 million tons of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, along with promising concentrations of uranium.

FMF advances the objectives of the Comprehensive Mining and Mineral Industries Strategy, a Saudi initiative with a global vision, bringing governments, the private sector, investors, and technology providers around implementable projects. Its sixth edition will make a global call to diversify mineral supply, develop mining capabilities and build a more resilient and reliable minerals ecosystem capable of meeting future industrial and technological needs.

For registration and further information, visit futuremineralsforum.com

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/06102026/riyadh-to-host-sixth-edition-of-future-minerals-forum-in-january-2027/