Critical Raw Materials Roundtable: Business Opportunities in the GCC
Wednesday 15 January 2025
IEF Headquarters, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
On January 15, 2025, the International Energy Forum (IEF) was pleased to host a high-level Roundtable titled "Critical Raw Materials: Business Opportunities in the GCC."
The event was organized in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took place alongside the Future Mineral Forum 2025. A distinguished delegation from the Embassy of the Netherlands, led by Allard Castelein, Special Representative for Critical Raw Materials and former CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, attended the event.
The Roundtable convened notable representatives from both public and private sectors across the Netherlands and GCC region. René Beerepoot, Head of Regional Business Development in the Gulf, moderated the session, with Christof van Agt Ross, Director of Energy Dialogue at the IEF, providing insightful opening remarks. Mr. Castelein delivered an informative overview, highlighting current trends and developments related to critical raw materials in the Netherlands and across the European Union.
Participants engaged in dynamic discussions, exploring strategic opportunities for collaboration on critical raw materials, emerging industry trends, regional mining developments, and strategies to build sustainable and resilient supply chains. Special emphasis was placed on identifying the significant contributions Dutch stakeholders could make towards fulfilling GCC countries' ambitions in critical raw materials, while also ensuring the Netherlands' long-term resource security.
The Roundtable explored opportunities for collaboration on critical raw materials between the Netherlands and GCC countries.
