HIBAPRESS – MAP
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, held discussions yesterday, Wednesday, in Riyadh, with the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference hosted by the Saudi capital from January 13 to 15.
This meeting was dedicated to assessing the progress made in various areas of joint cooperation, which was the subject of a series of coordination meetings between the two countries' working teams, within the framework of activating and implementing the contents of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in the field of mineral resources. During these discussions, the two parties stressed the strategic importance of deepening the bilateral partnership in the mining sector, by focusing on a number of priority areas, especially the development of strategic and critical minerals, strengthening training programs and capacity building, in addition to accelerating the pace of digital transformation and employing advanced technologies across various links in the mining value chain. The two sides also emphasized the need to support scientific research and promote the development of innovative solutions, while paying special attention to the mining services sector, as it is a fundamental lever for creating added value and improving the competitiveness of the mining system. The two ministers agreed to continue close coordination between the specialized technical teams, in order to ensure the effective implementation of the directives emanating from this meeting, especially with regard to accompanying the private sector and stimulating investments, as well as strengthening partnerships between training, scientific research and engineering institutions specialized in the mineral field. The strategic partnership between the two kingdoms is based on five main axes, including the development of the strategic and critical minerals sector, investment in training and scientific research and the establishment of centers of excellence, accelerating digital transformation through the use of artificial intelligence, and encouraging private investments in the mining sector, which leads to achieving sustainable mining development, generating added value, and having a tangible economic and social impact.
