Gulf Critical Minerals Playbook Offers Lessons for Central Asia
Rihla Initiative Policy Council Member for Central Asia and the Caucasus
August 15, 2025
At the third ministerial meeting in the Central Asia-GCC format on April 16, 2025, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu invited the Gulf countries to jointly develop Kazakhstan’s strategic minerals’ reserves. He added that the Gulf states are welcome to participate across the entire value chain—from exploration and processing to the development of innovative solutions. Several months earlier, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade extended a similar invitation to Qatari investors, suggesting that the natural resources sector would be a “cornerstone” of bilateral cooperation.
These overtures are ambitious—and for good reason. Central Asia sits atop some of the world’s most critical minerals, including lithium, rare earths, copper, and uranium. But tapping into these vast reserves will require more than diplomatic goodwill. It will demand significant capital, infrastructure investment, and a favourable institutional environment.
Continue reading on the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation website
Photo: Canva
