Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pivoting to copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo, driven by AI-era demands and growing Gulf investment across the African mining value chain.
Gulf investors are moving away from gold and into critical minerals, securing African assets to underpin future industrial and technology supply chains.
Gulf capital is localizing Africa’s mineral value chain through investments in processing, infrastructure and logistics.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are set to receive copper supplies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking a shift in the Gulf state’s strategy away from gold and toward the critical mineral. 50,000 tonnes of copper cathodes will be supplied through a joint venture between state-run mining company Gecamines and commodity trader Mercuria, helping to diversify Congo’s exports beyond China and strengthening the Gulf region’s role in global industrial supply chains.
But why are Gulf investors accelerating this shift now, and what does it mean for Africa’s mining economy? As AI, electrification and energy transition goals drive demand for copper, cobalt and other strategic minerals, Gulf capital is moving beyond simple offtake agreements into mining, processing and logistics, with far-reaching implications for value creation and infrastructure development in the region.
Last year’s African Mining Week (AMW) In an interview with Energy, Capital & Power (ECP) in 2025, Atul Arya, senior vice president and chief energy strategist at S&P Global Commodities Insights, said: “Copper is the foundation for AI and essential for many other applications. This creates significant opportunities for investors, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which like Zambia also has vast cobalt resources.”
From the gold rush to betting on vital minerals
For decades, the Gulf states’ commodity strategies have relied heavily on oil and precious metals, especially gold. In 2025, the UAE was the world’s second largest gold trading center, with 1,945 tonnes traded annually. Gold remains a safe-haven asset, reaching nearly $5,000 per ounce in February 2026, but the trend is shifting toward asset diversification. Today, critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and rare earths are supporting a new technology-driven industrial age.
Investors in the Gulf are moving rapidly to secure stakes in these resources. In 2025, Abu Dhabi’s International Resources Holding (IRH) acquired a 56% stake in the Vichy tin mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, mining deposits that account for 7% of global tin supplies. IRH has already supported the rehabilitation of the Mopani copper mine in Zambia, acquiring a 51% stake and further increasing production from 2.2 million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals, a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund and state mining company Maaden, is targeting up to $15 billion in investments in critical African minerals, including negotiations to acquire 15-20% of mining group First Quantum Minerals’ Zambian copper, Kansansi and Sentinel nickel assets worth $1.5-2 billion. These moves are clear bets on industrial transformation. Gulf capitals want reliable access to materials to integrate themselves into global supply chains.
Gulf capital promotes regional value creation
Gulf countries have also begun efforts to localize key mineral value chains, combining capital and infrastructure, trade and processing capacity. For Africa, this supports local industry and infrastructure development. At AMW 2025, Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told ECP: “There are huge opportunities for companies that invest in local mineral processing and value addition. We still operate on the mining and metallurgical model, where semi-finished products are exported to deep-sea ports.”
In line with Minister Kabamba’s goals, UAE-based NG9 Holding is partnering with Congolese mining company Buenassa to develop the country’s first integrated copper-cobalt smelter, which will produce 30,000 tonnes of copper cathode and 5,000 tonnes of cobalt sulphate per year, supporting local value addition rather than raw ore export.
The UAE clearly has its sights set on the entire critical mineral supply chain, including strategic logistics. In Angola, AD Ports Group will begin operations at the Port of Luanda in 2025 as part of a $250 million investment, securing a 20-year concession and transforming the hub, which handles 76% of Angola’s cargo volume. The facility is critical to transporting minerals from Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to global markets, and total investment is expected to increase to $380 million to support increased trade volumes.
The Gulf region’s transformation from gold to critical minerals reflects a deeper strategic calculation: securing the materials to power future industries. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are investing across Africa’s mining, processing and logistics value chains to diversify supplies, reduce dependence on single markets such as China and support the development of local industries. For Africa, this change brings stronger pricing power, deeper capital flows, and a path to higher value and more resilient mining companies.
