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Saudi Arabia to check out Brazil and lithium power Chile as looks for to diversify

Saudi Arabia's mining minister will visit Brazil and Chile over the coming 2 weeks, the ministry said on Sunday, as the world's leading oil exporter looks for to broaden its global existence in mining.

In Brazil, talks will cover mining, food processing, and air travel, while in Chile the focus is on lithium, required for electric automobile batteries.

This aligns with the Kingdom's direction towards expanding the production of EVs, a Saudi government statement stated.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayaf will land in Brazil on Monday and leave for Chile, the world's second biggest producer of lithium, next Sunday.

First in Brazil, Alkhorayaf will meet farming and commercial groups, including Minerva Foods, JBS, and BRF SA, as well as the Brazilian Mining Association (IBRAM) and mining company Vale.

In Chile, Alkhorayaf will satisfy his counterpart Aurora Williams, as well as mining companies Antofagasta, and Codelco, a state-run business tasked with bringing the Chilean federal government into the lithium market.

Codelco has been seeking private sector partners to release lithium jobs.

A potential prospect is Saudi Arabia's Almar Water Solutions, whose chief executive stated in June the business sought a partnership with Codelco in its planned Maricunga lithium mining task.

Long dependent on oil, Saudi Arabia hopes to utilize lithium to assistance diversify its economy and turn itself into a center for EV production.

The diversification method includes strategies to broaden into global mining to protect access to minerals consisting of copper, cobalt, and nickel along with lithium.

Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the general public Financial investment Fund (PIF), and the Kingdom's Mining Company, called Ma'aden, which is 67% owned by the PIF, formed a joint venture called Manara Minerals to buy mining assets abroad.

Brazil's minister for energy Alexandre Silveira stated last month the PIF prepares to invest $15 billion in Brazil in locations such as green hydrogren, facilities, and renewable resource.

(source: Reuters)