The Mining Show 2024 kicked off today. Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), the Mining Show is an annual platform for governments, businesses, and investors to network and explore the latest developments in the field.

His Excellency Eng Saif Ghubash, Assistant Undersecretary for Petroleum, Gas, and Mineral Resources at MoEI, delivered the opening remarks. He said: “Our world is at a turning point. The demand for minerals, particularly energy transition minerals, is soaring, driven by our collective ambition to embrace clean energy and a sustainable future. Lithium, copper, cobalt—these are no longer just elements on a periodic table. They are the building blocks of tomorrow's energy, powering electric vehicles, renewable grids, and technologies that will shape the next century.”

He added: “Here in the UAE, we have always understood that prosperity comes not from standing still, but from reaching forward. That is why, this year, we are working on our nation’s first-ever Mineral Resources Strategy—a roadmap designed to propel the mining sector into a new era. This strategy is about more than numbers, though the numbers are impressive: By 2030, we aim to grow the mining sector’s share of the non-oil GDP to 5%. We plan to increase the presence of mining companies here in the UAE by 10%. And we’re committed to ensuring that every step of this journey is guided by principles of sustainability and stewardship. These goals are not just ambitions—they are building on real progress. Today, the UAE’s industrial exports have surged by an incredible 61%, reaching AED 187 billion by the end of 2023. Over the past three years, the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP has grown by 55%, climbing to AED 205 billion.”

He further noted: “The UAE is not just looking inward; we are reaching outward, investing in critical minerals in Africa and Latin America, securing supplies of lithium and copper—not for us alone, but for a world that depends on these materials to achieve a sustainable future. These investments are part of a broader vision: to build a secure, Emirati-led supply chain, from exploration to trading, that serves as a backbone for the global energy transition.”