Our Guest rockstar

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Ahmad Saleem is a geologist with nearly two decades of experience uncovering the Earth’s hidden treasures. His career has taken him from the deserts of Central Australia to the frozen landscapes of Greenland and the dense jungles of Africa and Asia — all in pursuit of minerals. Along the way, Ahmad has worked on nearly every continent (except Antarctica), travelled or worked in 80 countries, played a part in major discoveries, led high-stakes exploration projects, and built teams that thrive in some of the world’s most challenging environments. When he’s not out in the field trying to find the next big one, Ahmad is blending geology with technology as the founder of Needle Digital, where AI and data science meet mineral exploration. He also shares the untold stories of discovery through Exploration Radio, a podcast that’s become a go-to for geoscientists and adventurers alike, with over a million downloads each year. 

Whether he’s building tech, launching junior explorers, or spinning a good yarn, Ahmad brings a rare mix of curiosity, creativity, and rock-solid expertise to everything he does. In this talk, he returns to his first love - nickel and copper - and talks about his first trip to the closed Soviet city of Norilsk. And how he starred in a movie about Norilsk.