Today, Thursday, marked the start of the second day of the second edition of The International Mining Conference, held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources with a large international attendance at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.
The first session of the second day addressed the topic of mining as a partner in development to stimulate and accelerate the prosperity of communities, with participants including Hamid Rashid, Head of the Global Economic Monitoring Division within the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Ronan Le Roy, Head of the Mining Division at BYTP, DTP Mining, and Director of BTGC; and the Senior Expert for the Sustainable Resources Program at Mayer Ngomsea, Senior Expert for the Sustainable Resources Program at RESOLVE Consulting; Andrew Southam, CEO of Kaz Minerals; and Wendy Terrell, Executive Director of the Development Partners Institute.
Discussions at the International Mining Conference
Participants in the session titled “How Can Mining Become a Partner in Development to Stimulate and Accelerate Prosperity for Communities?” the development of a roadmap for mineral supply chains in the Arab region and the provision of materials needed for green energy projects, addressing the concept of prosperity for mining companies and their investments in the region, the challenges they face in achieving it within their fields of work, as well as the strategic priorities for achieving and sustaining it.
The participants highlighted the future of mining companies and how to secure their resources, as well as exploring mechanisms for engaging mining in development to stimulate and accelerate community prosperity, support local supply chains by companies and investors, and enhance operational efficiency and safety to serve the economy.
They discussed countries" needs for mining and infrastructure in the field of mining, as well as balancing the provision of necessary resources for all targeted regions, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships between governments and companies to ensure social prosperity for peoples and nations, secure supply chains, and adopt new approaches to creating a diversified economy to identify mining sites and resources.
Agreements Signed on the First Day of the International Mining Conference
It is worth noting that the first day of the second edition of the International Mining Conference featured a signing ceremony for 25 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding between a number of government agencies, companies, and institutions participating in the conference.
These agreements and memorandums of understanding covered the fields of mineral exploration, technology, and communications; the implementation of sustainability standards; localization and training; and manufacturing in the minerals sector. The signing ceremony also included the handover of exploration licenses for the Al-Khaniqiyah and Umm al-Damar sites to the companies that won the licenses.
Among the most prominent local entities participating in the signing ceremony were the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Geological Survey of Saudi Arabia, Ma’aden, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, King Saud University, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Aramco, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, the Council of Saudi Chambers, and the Industrial Center.
