Keynote Conference Day One - 16 September 2026
08:00 - REGISTRATION
UAE’S MINERAL STRATEGY - SAFEGUARDING INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE
09:10 - 09:20
ORGANISER’S WELCOME REMARKS
09:20 - 09:30
OPENING GOVERNMENT ADDRESS
Khaled Mohamed
Director of the Geology and Mineral Resources Department, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates
09:30 - 10:30
OPENING PANEL DISCUSSION: THE UAE’S CRITICAL MINERALS STRATEGY & GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS — GLOBAL ACQUISITIONS, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS & SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS TO BUILD A WORLD CLASS MINERAL PROCESSING HUB, AND STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION THROUGH OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES & AI TO DECARBONISE MINING OPERATIONS AND ENHANCE SUSTAINABILITY & TRACEABILITY OF RESOURCES
Riaz Tejani (Session Chair)
President, StrataCCS Consulting, United Arab Emirates
Director, Strategic Partnerships, Ronacher McKenzie Geoscience Inc, United Arab Emirates
Yousef Tayseer Jawabreh
Mining Expert, Geology & Mineral Resources Department, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates
Dr. Cauvery Ganapathy
Fellow, Climate & Energy, Middle East, ORF Middle East, United Arab Emirates
Sikander Khan Durrani
Geologist, Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, United Arab Emirates
Andrew Gaballa
Managing Director – MENA, Sakina Commodities, United Arab Emirates
10:30 - 11:10
REFRESHMENTS BREAK & BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE
COMMODITIES, CRITICAL MINERALS, GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION & TECHNOLOGY
11:10 - 11:40
PREMIUM PRESENTATION: CRITICAL MINERALS - NAVIGATING NEW GEOPOLITICS AMID OLD SECURITY QUESTIONS
Dr. Cauvery Ganapathy
Fellow, Climate & Energy, Middle East, ORF Middle East, United Arab Emirates
11:40 - 12:05
PRESENTATION: EXPLORING AFRICA AS FRONTIER EXPLORATION DESTINATION - OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN HIGH‑GROWTH MINING REGIONS
Sipho Ngwenya
Managing Director, Trit Mines, United Arab Emirates
12:05 - 12:30
PRESENTATION: CRITICAL MINERALS, RARE EARTHS AND ARIMA’S INITIATIVES
K Sundarrajan
Principal Consultant, Arima Minerals, United Arab Emirates
12:30 - 14:00
LUNCH & NETWORKING BREAK & BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE
COMMODITIES, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION SHOWCASE
14:00 - 14:25
PRESENTATION: MINING PROJECT FINANCE - UNLOCKING CAPITAL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF MINES
Robert Mantse
Chairman & Managing Director, M2 Capital Partners, United Kingdom
14:25 - 14:50
PRESENTATION: MINING & CRITICAL MINERALS OPPORTUNITIES IN SOMALILAND
Hon. Ahmed Jama Barre
Minister of Energy and Minerals, Republic of Somaliland
14:50 - 15:15
PRESENTATION: ENERGY STORAGE MARKET EVOLUTION AND THE ROLE OF CRITICAL MINERALS FOR BATTERY MANUFACTURING
Avanthika Satheesh
Director - Emerging Technologies – MENA, Customized Energy Solutions (CES), , United Arab Emirates
15:15 - 15:30
PRESENTATION: TITAN DISCOVERY: A CANADIAN DIVERSIFIED CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECT ON THE ATLANTIC COAST
Ryan Jackson
CEO, Titan Discovery Corp., Canada
15:30 - 16:00
REFRESHMENTS BREAK & BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE
COMMODITIES FINANCING & INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE
16:00 - 16:45
PANEL DISCUSSION: MONEY DRIVES MINERALS - FACILITATING STRATEGIC & CRITICAL MINERALS INITIATIVES AND INVESTMENTS AND HOW THE GEOPOLITICAL RIVALRY IS AN INVESTMENT BATTLEGROUND FOR DOMINANCE IN CRITICAL MINERAL SUPPLY CHAINS, RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Avanthika Satheesh (Session Chair)
Director - Emerging Technologies – MENA, Customized Energy Solutions (CES), , United Arab Emirates
Sipho Ngwenya
Managing Director, Trit Mines, United Arab Emirates
Ryan Jackson
CEO, Titan Discovery Corp., Canada
Andrew Gaballa
Managing Director – MENA, Sakina Commodities, United Arab Emirates
Robert Mantse
Chairman & Managing Director, M2 Capital Partners, United Kingdom
16:45
CLOSING REMARKS & END OF DAY 1