Saudi Arabia Launches Platform to Enable Contractors to Implement PIF Projects

Works on the Amaala project on the Red Sea coast, northwest of Saudi Arabia (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Works on the Amaala project on the Red Sea coast, northwest of Saudi Arabia (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Platform to Enable Contractors to Implement PIF Projects

Works on the Amaala project on the Red Sea coast, northwest of Saudi Arabia (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Works on the Amaala project on the Red Sea coast, northwest of Saudi Arabia (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has launched a platform that qualifies contractors and provides services and facilities to enable them to obtain pre-qualification according to technical evaluation criteria.

 

The new platform will contribute to providing a highly reliable indicator for companies affiliated with the Public Investment Fund to implement construction projects in cooperation with the private sector.

 

The Saudi Sovereign Fund has been able to establish 77 local companies so far, as part of its endeavor to advance economic transformation, create job opportunities and diversify investments at the local and international levels.

 

On Thursday, the Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA), in cooperation with the PIF, announced the launch of the “re-qualification of contractors” program, in a step to enhance competitiveness and transparency in the sector, and to enable the implementation of current and future projects for companies affiliated with the Sovereign Fund in accordance with the highest quality standards.

 

The service provides a platform that brings together a number of establishments affiliated to the PIF in a unified pre-qualification program, and enables them to participate in the projects through several criteria, including: activities and experience, quality management, and health and safety.

 

The Saudi Contractors Authority has recently concluded the fifth edition of the Future Projects Forum, in Riyadh.

 

More than 3,000 contractors and interested parties from 16 countries around the world participated in the event, along with 43 government and private agencies.

 

The forum reviewed the details and developments of more than 3,000 future projects, the value of which was estimated at SAR 1 trillion ($266 billion).

 

It also saw the launching of a platform that helps contractors and interested parties to track and search for contracting projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

 

Meanwhile, iot squared, a leading company in the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and a subsidiary of the STC group, has signed a cooperation agreement with “AHOY” Technology, specializing in smart mobility infrastructure and logistics services.

 

This collaboration supports the complete transformation towards IoT, contributing to an advanced technological revolution that aims to achieve the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

 

Under this agreement, iot squared, in partnership with “AHOY”, will provide the latest smart logistics solutions, including advanced technology infrastructure and various programs that contribute to developing application interfaces and software platforms. The collaboration also involves identifying the target audience and providing technical support.

 

Othman Aldahsh, CEO of "iot squared", emphasized that global alliances were a key priority to benefit from potentials and create new opportunities through dedicated investments, acquisitions and partnerships.

 



Exports from Libya's Hariga Oil Port Stop as Crude Supply Dries Up, Say Engineers

A general view of an oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
A general view of an oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
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Exports from Libya's Hariga Oil Port Stop as Crude Supply Dries Up, Say Engineers

A general view of an oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
A general view of an oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)

The Libyan oil export port of Hariga has stopped operating due to insufficient crude supplies, two engineers at the terminal told Reuters on Saturday, as a standoff between rival political factions shuts most of the country's oilfields.

This week's flare-up in a dispute over control of the central bank threatens a new bout of instability in the North African country, a major oil producer that is split between eastern and western factions.

The eastern-based administration, which controls oilfields that account for almost all the country's production, are demanding western authorities back down over the replacement of the central bank governor - a key position in a state where control over oil revenue is the biggest prize for all factions.

Exports from Hariga stopped following the near-total shutdown of the Sarir oilfield, the port's main supplier, the engineers said.

Sarir normally produces about 209,000 barrels per day (bpd). Libya pumped about 1.18 million bpd in July in total.

Libya's National Oil Corporation NOC, which controls the country's oil resources, said on Friday the recent oilfield closures have caused the loss of approximately 63% of total oil production.