The European Union and Saudi Arabia have taken a significant step toward deeper strategic cooperation with the launch of their first-ever high-level roundtable on critical raw materials. Held in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum, the EU–Saudi Arabia Business and Investment Dialogue on Advancing Critical Raw Materials Value Chains brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to align policy ambitions with concrete business and investment opportunities.
The dialogue reflects a growing convergence between European and Saudi priorities as both sides seek to secure reliable, diversified, and sustainable supplies of minerals that are essential for the global green and digital transitions.
A New Platform for Strategic Cooperation
The roundtable was organized under a Team Europe approach by the EU–GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project, in coordination with the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia and the European Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, and in close cooperation with the Future Minerals Forum.
It provided a high-level platform to explore European policy initiatives, including the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU, alongside Saudi Arabia’s minerals, industrial, and investment priorities. The dialogue also aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and broader ambitions across the GCC, the Middle East and North Africa, and Africa.
ResourceEU and Europe’s Strategic Imperative
At the heart of the discussions was ResourceEU, the European Union’s strategic action plan launched in late 2025. The initiative aims to secure reliable access to critical raw materials such as lithium, rare earth elements, and cobalt, which are vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.
The EU’s strategy seeks to reduce overdependence on single suppliers, particularly China, by strengthening domestic extraction and processing, boosting recycling and stockpiling, and deepening partnerships with resource-rich and strategically aligned countries. Saudi Arabia is increasingly seen as a key partner in this effort, given its mineral endowment, capital availability, and ambition to build globally competitive value chains.
Turning Policy Alignment Into Action
The inaugural EU–Saudi roundtable was opened by Christophe Farnaud, alongside Turki Al-Babtain, underscoring the political weight attached to the initiative.
Farnaud highlighted the importance of international cooperation in implementing the EU’s critical raw materials framework, stressing that secure and sustainable supply chains cannot be built in isolation. He described Saudi Arabia as a key partner in translating shared policy objectives into tangible business and investment cooperation that supports both the green and digital transitions.
From the Saudi side, Al-Babtain framed the dialogue as a core element of the Kingdom’s industrial transformation. He emphasized Saudi Arabia’s ambition to develop globally competitive mineral hubs, strengthen upstream and downstream integration, attract high-quality investment, and advance responsible mining and processing practices as part of Vision 2030.
Covering the Full Value Chain
Discussions during the roundtable focused on building resilient, diversified, and responsible critical raw materials supply chains across the entire value chain. Participants explored cooperation opportunities in exploration, mining, processing, and refining, as well as recycling, downstream manufacturing, and logistics.
There was also strong emphasis on mobilizing private investment and sustainable finance, supported by high environmental, social, and governance standards. These elements are increasingly central to both EU regulatory frameworks and Saudi Arabia’s efforts to position itself as a credible, long-term partner in global minerals markets.
Industry, Investment, and Decarbonization
The European Commission was represented by Valere Moutarlier, deputy director-general for European industry decarbonization within the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. She noted that the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU provide a clear framework for strengthening Europe’s resilience while deepening cooperation with international partners.
According to Moutarlier, engagement with Saudi Arabia is essential to advancing secure, sustainable, and diversified supply chains. She emphasized that structured dialogues such as the Riyadh roundtable play a crucial role in translating high-level policy ambitions into concrete industrial projects and investment flows.
Strategic Significance Beyond Europe and Saudi Arabia
While the dialogue focused on EU–Saudi cooperation, its implications extend well beyond the two partners. As global competition for critical raw materials intensifies, new alliances are forming that link resource development, industrial policy, and geopolitical strategy.
Saudi Arabia’s push to become a global minerals and processing hub positions it as a bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia, while the EU’s search for diversified supply chains opens opportunities for deeper engagement across the GCC and resource-rich regions in Africa. The roundtable signals a shared recognition that future economic resilience, energy security, and technological leadership depend on collaboration rather than fragmentation.
Laying the Groundwork for Long-Term Partnership
The first EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials marks an important milestone in bilateral relations. By aligning Europe’s regulatory and strategic frameworks with Saudi Arabia’s industrial ambitions, the dialogue lays the groundwork for long-term cooperation in one of the most strategically important sectors of the global economy.
As both sides move from discussion to implementation, the outcomes of this engagement are expected to shape investment decisions, industrial partnerships, and supply chain strategies in the years ahead, reinforcing the EU–Saudi relationship as a pillar of the global green and digital transition.
