Senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Morocco have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the mining sector, building on a history of diplomatic and economic engagement aimed at leveraging shared mineral resources and expertise.

During high-level talks in Rabat earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, met with Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, and the Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, to explore avenues for enhanced collaboration and investment.

The discussions focused on expanding bilateral ties in mining and related industries, enhancing economic collaboration, and empowering financial institutions to support joint initiatives.

Both sides explored opportunities in the phosphate industry — a segment in which each country is a major global producer — with an emphasis on utilising combined experience to strengthen competitive positioning and access new markets.

The talks also addressed broader cooperation in regional trade, including efforts to remove barriers to mineral imports and exports and to support export development and the promotion of Saudi exports in Morocco.

These meetings build on earlier agreements that saw Saudi Arabia and Morocco sign memoranda of understanding to promote cooperation in mining and industry during international forums such as the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, where both nations committed to exchanging expertise and exploring strategic partnerships across mineral value chains.

The ongoing dialogue envisages not only joint investment and technical exchange but also wider participation of the private sector and institutional stakeholders to capitalise on the combined potential of their mineral resources.

In remarks underscoring the strategic importance of the partnership, Al-Khorayef noted the opportunity to learn from Morocco’s mining sector expertise and integrate that insight into Saudi Arabia’s broader long-term industrial ambitions, which are embedded within the kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification framework, further underscoring shared interests in responsible and sustainable mining growth.

The reaffirmed cooperation indicates both capitals’ intent to position mining as a pillar of future economic development, tapping into abundant reserves and advancing joint ventures that could enhance technological integration, environmental standards and investment flows between North Africa and the Gulf region.

These efforts align with a wider pattern of strengthening economic relations across the Middle East and North Africa, as countries seek to diversify their industrial bases and promote sustainable resource development.