Riyadh, Jan 11, 2023, SPA – The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef has discussed with British Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Grant Shapps the need to take swift action to combat climate change to reach envisioned global objective of net zero greenhouse gas emissions, during a penal discussion titled, "enhancing the mineral development in Africa and west and central Asia", organized on the sidelines of the International Mining Conference, under the patronage the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, from January 10-12. Al-Khorayef underlined that the emerging mining region, extending from Africa to west and central Asia, needs to swiftly take an action to cope with the increasing global demand on minerals, stressing the role of the United Kingdom to develop reliable supply chains for the entire region and not only for the Kingdom. Al-Khorayef also stressed the global objective of the shift to green energy cannot be realized without international collective efforts. He also underlined the need for more focused efforts on developing minerals in the region to establish more coherent communities through unified efforts that put in place solutions attract investments and facilitate access to data and technology. Al-Khorayef said that Saudi Arabia is moving ahead with its endeavor to improve its value chains in gold, phosphate and aluminum and has achieved a great progress in laying down the infrastructure for e-cars, pointing out that the future of mining in the Kingdom is promising with exploration unveiling reserves of minerals valuing around SR5 trillion ($1.3 trillion). He also explained that the participation of more than 60 countries in the world is the proof that the Kingdom has become a global hub in the mineral and mining industry. For his part, the British minister said that there is broad Saudi-British cooperation in the green energy, underlying that Saudi Arabia is the most suitable place to discuss the future of minerals. It is worth noting that the first day of the conference has seen the participation of more than 200 speakers from the Kingdom and various countries to discuss key issues in minerals and mining industry at the regional and global levels. --SPA 23:08 LOCAL TIME 20:08 GMT 0048 www.spa.gov.sa/w1838801