RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's mining minister will visit Brazil and Chile over the coming two weeks, the ministry said on Sunday, as the world's leading oil exporter seeks to expand its international presence in mining.
In Brazil, talks will cover mining, food processing, and aviation, while in Chile the focus is on lithium, needed for electric vehicle batteries.
"This aligns with the Kingdom's direction towards expanding the production of EVs," a Saudi government statement said.
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayaf will land in Brazil on Monday and leave for Chile, the world's second largest producer of lithium, next Sunday.
First in Brazil, Alkhorayaf will meet agricultural and industrial groups, including Minerva Foods, JBS, and BRF, as well as the Brazilian Mining Association (IBRAM) and mining company Vale.
In Chile, Alkhorayaf will meet his counterpart Aurora Williams, as well as mining companies Antofagasta, and Codelco, a state-run company tasked with bringing the Chilean government into the lithium industry.
Codelco has been seeking private sector partners to launch lithium projects.
A potential candidate is Saudi Arabia's Almar Water Solutions, whose chief executive said in June the company sought a partnership with Codelco in its planned Maricunga lithium mining project.
Long dependent on oil, Saudi Arabia hopes to use lithium to help diversify its economy and turn itself into a hub for EV manufacturing.
The diversification strategy includes plans to expand into international mining to secure access to minerals including copper, cobalt, and nickel as well as lithium.
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the Kingdom's Mining Company, known as Ma'aden, which is 67% owned by the PIF, formed a joint venture called Manara Minerals to invest in mining assets abroad.
Brazil's minister for energy Alexandre Silveira said last month the PIF plans to invest $15-billion in Brazil in areas such as green hydrogren, infrastructure, and renewable energy.