Morocco’s potential role in establishing a future center of excellence dedicated to sustainability in the minerals sector was highlighted during an online panel held last week, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh this January 13-15. The discussion examined critical issues surrounding strategic minerals essential to global energy transition and economic growth.
Participants analyzed insights from the FMF Barometer Report 2025, which tracks investment flow evolution, shifting risk perceptions, and the construction of new mineral value chains. Africa and West Asia, which concentrate 40% to 45% of global reserves, were identified as strategically vital regions. However, these areas continue facing significant challenges in financing, infrastructure development, and governance frameworks.
Within this context, Morocco emerges as a structuring actor positioned to contribute substantially to deploying responsible and resilient value chains. The country’s established mining industry, coupled with its geographic position and existing infrastructure, provides advantages for coordinating continental sustainability initiatives.
The proposed center of excellence would serve as a platform for advancing environmentally responsible mining practices across Africa while addressing the growing global demand for critical minerals needed in renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Such an initiative aligns with international efforts to ensure mineral supply chains meet sustainability standards while supporting economic development in resource-rich regions.
Morocco’s phosphate industry experience and ongoing investments in renewable energy infrastructure position the kingdom favorably for this leadership role. The center could facilitate knowledge transfer, establish best practices, and coordinate regional approaches to balancing mineral extraction with environmental protection and social responsibility.
As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, establishing African leadership in sustainable mining practices becomes increasingly important. Morocco’s potential hosting of this excellence center reflects broader recognition of the continent’s strategic importance in future mineral supply chains and the necessity of embedding sustainability principles from extraction through processing and distribution stages.
The Future Minerals Forum is a government-led mineral platform, which has become the leading gathering bringing together industry leaders, experts, governments, academia, and stakeholders to drive mineral resilience and promote responsible supply.
Recognized globally as an integrated powerhouse for the minerals and mining sector, FMF redefines global dialogues on mineral discovery and sustainable production and brings the world together to deliver the minerals for creating a new era of global development, prosperity, and stability.
