Prime Highlights:
- The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) launched a new global tool to track investment, risks, and progress in the critical minerals industry.
- Industry leaders highlighted that mining is vital for economic growth, clean energy, and the rising demand for minerals like copper, lithium, and nickel.
Key Facts:
- Global mining mergers and acquisitions reached nearly $30 billion in the first nine months of 2025, with Latin America accounting for almost 75% of the deals.
- The FMF Barometer is backed by the Future Minerals Framework, developed with input from experts in international organizations, companies, and civil society.
Background:
On Tuesday, the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) introduced a new global tool to track investment, risks, and progress in the critical minerals industry, showing the growing importance of mining worldwide.
Introduced on the opening day of FMF in Riyadh, the FMF Barometer provides a data-driven assessment of how governments, companies, and investors are advancing resilient and responsible mineral supply chains across key markets. The tool focuses on the “Super Region,” which includes Africa, Western Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America, areas that together hold more than half of the world’s critical mineral reserves.
Developed in collaboration with McKinsey & Co. and industry specialists, the barometer combines market intelligence, project-level data, and stakeholder insights to create a unified platform for global decision-makers. It aims to serve as a reliable reference point for tracking shifts in capital flows, investment confidence, and supply-chain readiness.
Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs, Khalid Al-Mudaifer, said the barometer fills a major gap in global minerals data. He said that demand for critical minerals is growing quickly because of electric vehicles, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and defense needs. This makes it clear that benchmarks are important for long-term planning.
The barometer is supported by the Future Minerals Framework, developed with input from global experts. It sets out coordinated steps across mining, exploration, processing, transport, and manufacturing to build sustainable mineral supply chains.
Industry leaders at the forum said mining is important for economic growth and the shift to clean energy. They noted high long-term demand for minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, and rare earths, driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy, and modern technologies.
Global forecasts show demand for these minerals will keep increasing, especially for batteries and clean energy. Meeting this demand will need more investment, supportive policies, and international cooperation.
FMF 2026 is bringing together thousands of participants, including government officials, industry leaders, and investors. The event aims to encourage collaboration, attract investment, and set global standards for responsible mineral development.
