Saudi Arabia, China Seek to Promote Cooperation in Green Housing Technology

Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail during his meetings in Beijing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail during his meetings in Beijing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, China Seek to Promote Cooperation in Green Housing Technology

Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail during his meetings in Beijing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail during his meetings in Beijing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail discussed with top executives of Chinese CITIC Group and CITIC Construction, cooperation opportunities in the field of green and sustainable housing technology.

Al-Hogail is currently on an official visit to Beijing to discuss exchange of expertise with Chinese institutions and companies and participate in the Saudi-Chinese Forum.

The event aims at attracting top Chinese companies to invest in Saudi Arabia while consolidating the two countries’ partnerships.

The forum will review the investment opportunities and advantages the Kingdom offers in infrastructure and housing. It will be attended by Saudi officials and investors, along with representatives of Chinese companies.

During his meetings on Monday, the Saudi minister discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of green and sustainable housing technology, praising the efforts of CITIC in introducing and integrating advanced technologies to promote the construction sector in the Kingdom.

The meeting, which was attended by Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Beijing, Abdul Rahman Al-Harbi, touched on the progress in the implementation of a project comprising 20,000 housing units, where CITIC is coordinating between the National Housing Company and the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company on the one hand, and Chinese banks on the other.

Also on Monday, Al-Hogail met with representatives of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to discuss cooperation opportunities and the proposed structure for financing housing projects.

The Saudi minister visited the “Beijing Stages of Development Exhibition” on Sunday, to learn about China’s experience and explore modern best practices in the development and improvement of cities.

During his meeting with a number of executives specialized in housing and real estate, the minister discussed means of cooperation, exchange of experiences, as well as the investment opportunities offered by the Kingdom in the municipal and housing sectors.



Syria to Receive Electricity-generating Ships from Qatar, Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
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Syria to Receive Electricity-generating Ships from Qatar, Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo

Syria will receive two electricity-generating ships from Türkiye and Qatar to boost energy supplies hit by damage to infrastructure during President Bashar al-Assad's rule, state news agency SANA quoted an official as saying on Tuesday.
Khaled Abu Dai, director general of the General Establishment for Electricity Transmission and Distribution, told SANA the ships would provide a total of 800 megawatts of electricity but did not say over what period.
"The extent of damage to the generation and transformation stations and electrical connection lines during the period of the former regime is very large, we are seeking to rehabilitate (them) in order to transmit energy,” Abu Dai said.
According to Reuters, he did not say when Syria would receive the two ships.
The United States on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of Assad's rule to try to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance.
The exemption allows some energy transactions and personal remittances to Syria until July 7. The action did not remove any sanctions.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available just two or three hours a day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims within two months to provide electricity up to eight hours a day.