RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources will organise the sixth edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF), a global platform for shaping the future of minerals, which will be held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, from January 12 to 14, 2027, in Riyadh, with the theme “Global Collaboration for Resilient Mineral Supply.”
The Future Minerals Forum 2027 builds on the success of its previous five editions in facilitating global dialogue and collaboration across the mining and minerals sector.
The FMF’s fifth edition, held in January 2026, welcomed senior government representatives from 91 countries and more than 64 governmental and non-governmental organisations, alongside more than 21,500 participants from 175 countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The forum also saw the signing of 132 agreements and MoUs worth more than $26.7 billion (SAR100 billion), bringing the cumulative total announced across five editions to 398 agreements and MoUs valued at over $75.2 billion (SAR282 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 Saudi Arabia and across emerging supplier regions, including the Super Region spanning Africa, West and Central Asia, and Latin America, according to SPA.
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 ‘Gateway to Funding’ activities to showcase investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and other regions, financing instruments and collaboration models, while connecting investors with high-quality 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 also 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 transparent tender licensing rounds and advanced projects across mineral industries, including aluminum, iron and steel, titanium, and others. The Kingdom has also launched several programs 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 $54.7 million (SAR205 million) in 2020 to approximately $362.7 million (SAR1.36 billion) in 2025, reaching a record high, while the number of active exploration companies grew from six to 191 over the same period.
Moreover, Saudi Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz 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 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.
