The U.S.-Saudi Business Council played an active role in the 2026 edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) held under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM). On the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum, the U.S.-Saudi Business Council convened an exclusive, high-level Roundtable on Critical Minerals and Industrial Supply Chains on January 14, 2026.
Through this year’s participation, including hosting a dedicated booth at the Forum and signing a strategic agreement with the Saudi Mining Services Company (ESNAD), the Council engaged directly with stakeholders seeking to better understand opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s mining and minerals sector and to explore potential partnerships with U.S. companies across mining, processing, technology, and supporting services.
The roundtable featured the highest-ranking members of the U.S. Government Delegation, including David Copley, Special Assistant to the President at the White House and Audrey Robertson, Assistant Secretary of Energy, and brought together more than 120 senior U.S. and Saudi government officials, business executives, and industry leaders. The program included remarks by Dr. Zeid Alghareeb, Deputy Minister for Localization and New Energy at the Ministry of Energy, and focused on advancing bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, a growing priority for national security, advanced manufacturing, and the global energy transition.
Building on the landmark U.S.-Saudi cooperation agreements announced in 2025, the roundtable focused on implementation and next steps, including identifying priority projects across the critical minerals value chain, outlining investment and offtake opportunities, and discussing the role of public-private collaboration in building resilient and secure supply chains.
Participants also explored opportunities spanning transportation, energy, robotics, defense, and advanced manufacturing, underscoring the strategic importance of critical minerals across multiple industrial sectors.
Charles Hallab, President and CEO of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, remarked that “Critical minerals are increasingly essential to energy security, manufacturing prowess, and economic resilience. Our roundtable highlighted our efforts to turn words into actions by outlining practical pathways for U.S. and Saudi stakeholders to build long-term, secure supply chains that strengthen both economies as true partners.”
The roundtable underscored the Council’s unique role as the place where U.S.–Saudi strategic priorities translate into real-world partnerships and investments – mobilizing stakeholders to strengthen industrial supply chains and advance long-term bilateral business.
The U.S.-Saudi Business Council’s MOU signing with ESNAD, a company operating under the umbrella of the MIM and central to the Ministry’s private sector engagements, also occurred on the sidelines of the Forum. This historic MoU aims to broaden the international partnership network for the Kingdom’s mining sector, strengthen investment opportunities to support market expansion and revenue growth, and reinforce global ecosystem integration through joint partnerships and events.
Now recognized as one of the world’s leading global platforms for the mining and minerals sector, the Forum convened more than 20,000 participants from over 160 countries, including senior executives, government officials, and industry leaders. Centered on the theme “Dawn of a Global Cause: Minerals for a New Age of Development,” the Forum examined critical minerals strategies, resilient supply chains, green metals, and the application of new technologies across mining, processing, and downstream industries.
The Council’s continued participation in the Future Minerals Forum reflects its longstanding collaboration with MIM and its role in supporting U.S. companies seeking to engage in Saudi Arabia’s industrial and mining sectors. As the Kingdom advances its national mining strategy and expands investment across minerals and related industries, the Council’s support for the Forum provides a key platform for connecting U.S. expertise with Saudi priorities to support practical, informed engagement between the two markets.
