The United Arab Emirates and the United States have signed a Framework on Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths on the sidelines of the US Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, DC.
The framework highlights bilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to building supply chains for materials used in defence, advanced technologies and industrial growth.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment, and Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.
UAE, US agree framework on mining and processing of critical minerals
The signing took place as the UAE Ministry of Investment joined international partners at the US Critical Minerals Ministerial, following an invitation from the US Department of State.
Officials engaged with more than 50 international counterparts to advance dialogue and cooperation aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains.
The framework sets out a coordinated approach to accelerate the secure supply of critical minerals. It will use existing policy tools, including US industrial demand and stockpiling infrastructure and the UAE’s strategic reserves.
It also establishes a platform to mobilise public and private investment across the value chain, covering mining, separation, processing, recycling and downstream activities.
Both countries committed to supporting investment through financing, guarantees, equity investments, offtake arrangements, insurance and regulatory facilitation.
The UAE and the US will jointly identify priority projects that address supply chain gaps. Within six months of signing the framework, both sides intend to take steps to provide financing to projects located in each country.
These projects are expected to generate end products for delivery to buyers in both markets.
Cooperation spans mining, processing and recycling
The framework supports accelerated and streamlined permitting processes in line with applicable laws.
It also outlines cooperation to strengthen market resilience, including addressing non-market policies and unfair trade practices, exploring market mechanisms that support transparent trade, and engaging with international partners on global pricing challenges.
Additional cooperation areas include investment in recycling technologies, improved management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap, and geological mapping in the UAE, the United States and other agreed locations.
The framework also includes enhanced review of asset sales on national security grounds and collaboration with third parties to strengthen supply chain security.
“Critical minerals supply chains are inherently global, and unlocking their full potential requires coordinated action and sustained investment. As demand is expected to triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, maintaining investment momentum will be essential to meeting future needs and supporting resilient industrial growth,” Alsuwaidi stated.
He added that the United States is the second-largest source of foreign investment into the UAE and that the partnership is important in addressing global challenges.
Helberg said the UAE is a key partner of the United States and pointed to the UAE’s $1.4 trillion investment commitment in the US over the next decade.
“Our partnership is multi-layered and spans critical sectors, creating the foundation for transformative cooperation. This framework reflects our shared ability to work together across the most strategic industries, including critical minerals, to strengthen economic and national security,” he said.
