President Ilham Aliyev’s remarks at a meeting on September 22 on the “State Program for the Development of Mining (Metal Ores) and Metallurgical Industry in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2027–2030” offer a clear indication of the sectors that could come to the forefront of Azerbaijan’s economic development in the next stage.

Azerbaijan has long been known primarily as an oil and gas country. The oil and gas sector remains highly important to the economy and is expected to retain that role in the coming years. In January-August 2026, Azerbaijan’s GDP stood at 87.7 billion manats, with 26.2 billion manats generated by the oil and gas sector, accounting for roughly 30% of total GDP.

These figures show that the objective is to expand other parts of the economy at a faster pace. As new sectors grow, the relative share of oil and gas in GDP and exports will decline, while the overall production base of the economy will become broader.

President Ilham Aliyev’s remarks indicate that metallurgy could play a particularly important role in this process.

As President Ilham Aliyev said: “Although it is a capital-intensive sector, a new, modern industrial domain will be established in our country. The creation of over 5,000 permanent jobs is envisaged. Overall, the processing and efficient utilization of our natural........

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