On Monday, September 13, the U.S.-Saudi Business Council (USSBC), the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIMR), and the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) hosted a seminar for over 40 representatives from companies across all corners of the U.S. mining industry. The seminar, titled “Saudi Arabia: Mining Market on the Move,” took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center during MINExpo International 2021.
H.E. Eng. Vice Minister Khalid Al-Mudaifer of MIMR served as the featured speaker and discussed the many export and investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning mining sector, including applications in related fields such as equipment manufacturing, information technology, and sustainability. Mr. Nasir Aljahdali, Vice President for Geological Programs of SGS, presented on the geological potential of Saudi Arabia’s land and ongoing projects by SGS. USSBC President and CEO H. Delano Roosevelt served as the seminar’s moderator, providing additional remarks throughout the presentation on the benefits to U.S. companies who choose to invest in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Musad Aldaood, Deputy Minister for Mining Development at MIMR, joined the speakers on stage at the end of the session for an engaging Q&A with the audience. The seminar concluded with an informal networking session among attendees.
Questions from the audience covered a range of topics including the regulatory environment in Saudi Arabia; protection of local water resources during mining operations and other environmental, social, and governance concerns; the specific technologies that the Ministry is seeking to integrate into Saudi mining operations; Saudization and technology transfer requirements; and the types of companies that SGS hopes to partner with to help build its state-of-the-art geoscience laboratory. The Vice Minister and Mr. Roosevelt concluded the Q&A session by remarking on the importance of longevity of relationships and partnerships in the mining industry and stating that they hope to partner with U.S. companies for long-term projects.
The PowerPoint presentation used during the seminar can be accessed here. You can also find out more about the Saudi mining industry from our in-depth mining report here. If you are interested in partnering with MIMR or SGS or would like to know more about our services for U.S. companies seeking to export or expand their business to Saudi Arabia, please contact David Callahan at dcallahan@ussaudi.org.
