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| Future Minerals Forum Riyadh |
Saudi Arabia will host the sixth edition of the Future Minerals Forum Riyadh from January 12 to 14, 2027. The upcoming global gathering will focus heavily on international collaboration for resilient mineral supply chains. In 2026, the fifth forum attracted over 21,500 participants from 175 countries. Furthermore, delegates signed 132 commercial agreements valued at more than 26.7 billion dollars during that single event.
Mobilizing Global Capital and Accelerating Mine Development
FMF 2027 will prioritize funding access to shorten project development timelines in emerging mining hubs. Organizers will connect international investors directly with scalable projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Meanwhile, ministerial roundtables and technical leadership sessions will tackle critical mineral bottlenecks. As a result, the event accelerates the transformation of mineral supply ambitions into tangible mining operations.
Domestic Mineral Exploration Expands with Major Discovery
Saudi domestic exploration spending expanded dramatically from 54.7 million dollars in 2020 to 362.7 million in 2025. The host nation also increased its active exploration companies from six to 191 during that period. Additionally, recent geological studies confirmed 114 million tons of rare earth ore at Jabal Sayid. Therefore, the Future Minerals Forum Riyadh continues to anchor Saudi Arabia's long-term critical minerals strategy.
ScrapInsight Commentary
Saudi Arabia’s rapid scaling of exploration expenditure and the Jabal Sayid rare earth discovery position the Kingdom as a major critical minerals gateway. The forum’s focus on financing "Super Region" projects will accelerate secondary and primary processing infrastructure across developing nations. Consequently, Western supply chains may find new strategic partnerships to diversify away from concentrated refining hubs.
