DRC Reaffirms Strategic Role in Global Energy Transition at Future Minerals Forum
DRC Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba Calls for Saudi–DRC Investment Corridor at Future Minerals Forum
During the DRC Country Showcase, held on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, His Excellency Mr Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reaffirmed the country’s determination to position itself as a strategic partner in the global energy transition.
Addressing delegates, H.E. Minister Kabamba emphasised that the DRC is no longer focused solely on exporting critical raw minerals, but is actively pursuing local beneficiation, refining, and downstream processing of strategic resources.
He praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its leadership in shaping the new global mineral economy and called for the establishment of a dedicated investment corridor linking Saudi capital with Congolese mineral projects.
Highlighting the DRC’s central role in global supply chains, the Minister noted that the country remains the world’s leading producer of cobalt, a mineral essential to electric vehicles and energy storage technologies.
He stressed that the global energy transition cannot be realised without the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that the government’s ambition is to transform the country into a global hub for battery manufacturing and renewable energy solutions.
H.E. Minister Kabamba also outlined a series of structural reforms undertaken to improve the investment climate. These include the digitisation of the mining cadastre, alignment with international transparency and governance standards, and the establishment of special economic zones to support industrial development.
He concluded by assuring investors of a transparent, secure, and predictable operating environment, and invited international partners to engage in long-term, sustainable investments that support value addition and shared economic growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
