Al-Mudaifer says Saudi mining reforms boost global confidence

Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer said Saudi Arabia’s reforms strengthened global confidence in the mining sector, with the Kingdom ranking 10th worldwide in the 2025 Investment Attractiveness Index.

Speaking at the Astana International Mining and Metallurgy Conference in Kazakhstan, Al-Mudaifer said Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan carried out major mining sector reforms in recent years.

This included updating mining investment frameworks, expanding geological survey and mapping programs, accelerating exploration activities, and enhancing cooperation with international investors and mining partners.

Based on these reforms, both countries identified opportunities for cooperation in exploration, mineral processing, mining services, and downstream industries.

He pointed out that phosphate, aluminum, steel, titanium, construction materials, and rare earth elements are among the most important areas for near-term joint investment between Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.

Al-Mudaifer emphasized that the mining sector’s future competitiveness will depend on the efficiency of integrated value chains rather than resource availability alone.

According to the vice minister, industrial infrastructure and a fully integrated mining ecosystem—connecting extraction, mining services, processing, logistics, manufacturing, and export markets—are now critical to ensuring long-term supply chain resilience and achieving industrial growth.

He added that sustainable growth in the minerals sector depends on long-term financing, private-sector investment, and international industrial partnerships that bring together capital, technology, infrastructure, and operational expertise to accelerate industrial development and strengthen supply chain resilience.