Taking place from October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, AMW – The Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa - will feature a dedicated Middle East-Africa Roundtable, highlighting investment trends and long-term collaboration prospects for Gulf stakeholders across Africa’s mining value chain.

As global demand for critical minerals expands - driven by the energy transition, AI infrastructure deployment and defense applications – the Middle East is strengthening its supply chain through investments in Africa – home to 30% of the world’s reserves.

For Gulf economies seeking to diversify revenue generation from hydrocarbons, Africa’s $8.5 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits are becoming central to industrial diversification strategies. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – under which the Kingdom has pledged to invest $10 billion in African mining projects – alongside the UAE’s broader industrial transformation agenda, is driving increased acquisition of upstream mineral assets abroad, particularly across Africa’s critical minerals sector.

The shift is already translating into rising capital flows for Africa. Gulf states accounted for approximately 22% of greenfield foreign direct investment into Africa in 2025, highlighting the region’s growing role as a strategic investment partner for the continent. Sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), for instance, is supporting critical mineral investments across emerging markets through a $1.8 billion joint venture with Orion Resource Partners and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Separately, ADQ has also announced plans to invest $500 million into Kenya’s mining sector.

In mid-2025, Oman’s Maaden Fund secured a 41% stake in Angola’s Catoca diamond mine – one of the world’s largest diamond operations – reinforcing Gulf investors’ growing appetite for strategic mineral assets capable of generating long-term production resilience and stable revenue streams.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s International Resources Holding (IRH)’s $1 billion investment in Zambia’s Mopani Copper Mine is supporting operational restoration efforts aimed at increasing production to 200,000 tons over the next three years. Mopani is already playing a crucial role in supporting a national target to increase copper output to three million tons by 2031, emerging as a key contributor to the 8% increase in output recorded in 2025.

In South Africa, IRH’s agreement with the Public Investment Corporation to explore co-investment opportunities could unlock fresh capital at a time the country seeks to mobilize R2 trillion to unlock its critical mineral sector growth over the next three years.

AMW 2026 will highlight how Middle Eastern investment is modernizing Africa’s mining value chain. As African markets maximize their growth potential through localized processing, the event identifies the most lucrative investment and partnership opportunities between African mining stakeholders and Middle Eastern financiers.