Surging demand for Copper driven by AI, electrification trends

We love gold and silver for jewellery. They have been enjoying a distinct status symbol. Now there is a metal that is much in demand due to the growing need in AI infrastructure and data centres requiring massive amounts of copper wiring and cooling components.
Industry leaders are claiming it to be the metal that could be the next thing to be invested in.
It has been nicknamed the 'metal of electrification', but the fact is that it is still being considered as an industrial metal rather than a precious one.
Chile ranks first in the world for copper production. We would have to ask the serious investors how significant the metal is going to be in the portfolio.
Copper was melted in Oman historically when Oman was known as Magan. Copper is an important part of Oman's coinage.
According to researchers, during the era of Sultan Faisal bin Turki from 1888 to 1913, the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman minted pure copper 1/4 Anna coins. Apparently, these historical copper coins were used for maritime trade across the Indian Ocean and continued to stay in circulation until the 1940s.
Copper continues to have its presence. Today, Omani coinage retains copper derivatives.
In his article titled 'The Lost Land', in Aramco World, John Lawton wrote, 'One piece of persuasive evidence did emerge – an analysis showing a match between copper objects in Sumer and copper ore in Oman. 'Because Sumerian copper objects contained traces of nickel, archaeologists were excited when a prospector for the Anglo-Persian Oil Company reported in 1928 that samples collected from ancient copper workings in Oman contained 0.19 per cent nickel – a close match to Sumerian copper objects.'
This is a reflection of copper exports from Magan going through Dilmun to Sumer. Magan – or Makan - was, in the third and second millennia BC, the Sumerians' chief source of copper.
He goes on to point out, 'In 1973 and 1974, the company, Prospection (Oman) Limited, located some 44 ancient mining sites in northern Oman, some dating from the 17th-century Portuguese occupation, others from the ninth or tenth-century Islamic period and at least three – according to a Harvard archaeological survey – dating from the third millennium BC.'
There are archaeological sites in Suhar and Al Rustaq.
The world of metals has been evolving.
It was the first widely used metal in the world, and then came bronze.
As societies evolved, copper continued its journey even when the world ushered in electricity, as copper is still the global standard for electrical wiring and power generation. No wonder we hear so many incidents of copper wire or cables going missing in the world. But we cannot lock it up and keep it safe. It has to be out there.
For those who love the colour of copper, the metal is also used in jewellery, but it requires special care.
Most importantly, copper is today in financial conversations, whether one invests in it or not. It was gold that was skyrocketing; then there was silver, and now copper. Financial experts and analysts would know more, but as a fan of the metal, I am just happy copper is enjoying the glory once again.
Again, we must also remember that when it comes to mining, where they find copper, there could be the presence of gold and silver.
In other words, we never know what we are missing.