Riyadh to Host 5th Edition of Future Minerals Forum in January 2026

Riyadh, August 12, 2025, SPA -- Under the Patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announces the launch of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF 2026) from January 13 to 15, 2026, in Riyadh, under the theme, “Dawn of a Global Cause."
   Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef expressed gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his continued patronage of FMF, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for his constant support and empowerment.
   The minister noted that the forum’s fifth edition will further solidify the Kingdom’s position as a leader in the global dialogue on the future of the mining and minerals sector and reinforce the forum’s pivotal role as a leading international platform for shaping the future of minerals and promoting responsible supply chains.
   For the past four years, “FMF has led global action to address the sector’s most pressing issues and promote investment and responsible supply of minerals,” says Alkhorayef.
   “FMF is a cause driven from Saudi Arabia, one that brings the world together to deliver the minerals for creating a new era of global development, prosperity, and stability for supplier nations,” Alkhorayef added.
   He emphasized the importance of the theme, stating, “This is more than an event – it is a collective call to action. ‘Dawn of a Global Cause’ reflects the growing realization that minerals are critical not just to industries but also to humanity’s collective progress. This forum will forge new partnerships and inspire the change our sector urgently needs.”
   FMF is poised to build on past successes, tackling urgent resource challenges with deeper insights and broader participation. The initiative aims to mobilize governments, industry leaders, customers, civil society, and youth around the vision of minerals driving a new era of development across supplier regions in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and beyond.
   The FMF will convene a diverse array of stakeholders — governments, industry leaders, multilateral organizations, and academia — under one roof, at a time when minerals are essential for fulfilling global electrification ambitions.
   The FMF 2026 program and its government-led Ministerial Roundtable will collectively focus on the three main areas: delivering models for funding infrastructure projects to unlock seven mineral corridors in Africa and Latin America, as part of a phased approach that can be expanded to other regions; building capacity in supplier region through the creation of a network of Centers of Excellence focusing on geology, innovation, sustainability, talent development, and policy; and increasing supply-chain transparency by piloting a traceability scheme that can be replicated.
   At the fourth Ministerial Roundtable of the Future Minerals Forum 2025, Saudi Arabia convened the largest government gathering of its kind, bringing together representatives from over 90 countries, including 16 Group of Twenty (G20) nations and 50 international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, ICMM, UNIDO, and ISO.
   The high-level discussions focused on strengthening global collaboration across the "Super-Region" spanning Africa, West and Central Asia, and other key supplier nations.
   Among the major announcements were the development of a global framework to foster resilient and secure supply chains, the creation of a network of Centers of Excellence, and the advancement of responsible sourcing practices through supply chain certification mechanisms that reflect local contexts.
   The fifth FMF Roundtable will serve as a platform to review progress made under the International Critical Minerals Framework, track impact through the Future Minerals Barometer, and mobilize collaborative efforts to ensure that the mineral-rich regions of Africa, West, and Central Asia play a central role in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive global minerals future.
   Additionally, the unveiling of the Future Minerals Barometer further underscored the forum’s commitment to providing an authoritative tool to monitor global mineral supply chain dynamics.
   FMF 2025 demonstrated remarkable global engagement, attracting 18,000 participants from 165 countries, including mining executives, technology experts, and 405 distinguished speakers. The event facilitated 126 agreements worth SAR 107 billion across exploration, research and development (R&D), and sustainability initiatives.
   Notable announcements included Aramco-Ma'aden critical minerals ventures, Ma'aden's new discoveries, and Hadeed's SAR25 billion steel industry expansion. China’s Baosteel also revealed plans for its first overseas integrated steel plant in Saudi Arabia.
   The accompanying exhibition featured 170 global exhibitors and national pavilions, while past forums have hosted leadership from industry giants including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Barrick Gold.
   For more information and registration, please visit futuremineralsforum.com
   -- SPA