CAIRO: Kazakhstan’s attendance at next week’s Future Mineral Forum in Saudi Arabia is looking increasingly unlikely following the protests sweeping the nation — just as the country is on the cusp of exploiting a growing demand for the copper reserves it has below its surface.

The demonstrations — sparked by a dramatic rise in car fuel prices — led Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to dismiss the entire government before issuing a state of emergency.

As such, there is likely to be an empty chair at the Forum set to begin on Jan. 11 in Riyadh.