By Brazil Stock Guide – On an official visit to Saudi Arabia, Brazil’s mines and energy minister Alexandre Silveira met on Monday (Jan. 12) with Saudi minister of industry and mineral resources Bandar Al-Khorayef in Riyadh to deepen strategic cooperation in mining. The push comes as critical minerals gain geopolitical weight and Brazil seeks to unlock iron ore, copper and nickel projects under a more predictable regulatory framework.
Silveira outlined recent governance reforms in Brazil’s mining sector, centered on the National Mineral Policy Council, a body that brings together 18 ministries and advises President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He said the council is streamlining licensing, cutting red tape and strengthening institutional coordination, improving legal certainty for long-term, capital-intensive investments in a federal system.
Even as a federation made up of different states, Brazil has advanced toward a unified regulatory and institutional language, while preserving legal, regulatory and political stability and the legal certainty required for long-term investment, Silveira said.
Projects and reserves
On the investment agenda, the government highlighted efforts to unlock strategic projects in high-grade iron ore and copper, with a focus on the states of Pará and Minas Gerais. The strategy aims to boost international competitiveness and integrate Brazil into energy-transition supply chains. Although only about 30% of Brazil’s subsoil has been mapped, the country already ranks as the world’s second-largest holder of rare earth reserves and the seventh-largest in uranium.
Bilateral task force and partners
Silveira invited representatives of Manara Minerals to visit Brazil to assess new investment opportunities. The Saudi fund is a partner of Vale S.A. (VALE3; NYSE: VALE) in Vale Base Metals, the unit focused on copper and nickel production. The two sides agreed to set up a bilateral task force, with regular meetings, including virtually, to accelerate joint initiatives.
Downstream push and mapping
The Brazilian minister also urged Saudi partners to invest in downstream mineral processing in Brazil, adding value through industrialization, job creation and technology. He separately requested support from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for large-scale geological mapping projects. The government’s view is that expanding knowledge of the subsoil is key to unlocking structural investments and positioning Brazil in the next global cycle for critical minerals, often likened to oil in the 20th century.
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