Saudi Arabia to Expand Petrochemical Production, Energy Minister Says

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (Reuters)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia to Expand Petrochemical Production, Energy Minister Says

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (Reuters)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia is moving to expand the production of petrochemicals based on Chinese techniques for converting crude oil into petrochemicals, announced Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Wednesday.

Speaking at the third forum of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for International Cooperation in Beijing, the Minister said that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated its impact on the global economy and on the supply and value chains.

It also showed the importance of complementary work between nations and the safety, effectiveness, and feasibility of the approaches adopted by China and Saudi Arabia through the BRI and Vision 2030.

Prince Abdulaziz explained that 2022 witnessed the conclusion of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with China, and the alignment plan between Vision 2030 and the BRI to enhance cooperation and interconnection.

The Kingdom is a significant and reliable oil exporter to China, said the Minister, adding that Saudi Arabia is keen to maintain and enhance this relationship by boosting strategic ties.

Prince Abdulaziz explained that Riyadh and Beijing seek to enhance their cooperation in developing and sustaining supply chains and enabling companies to benefit from current and future infrastructure.

He explained that these efforts further bolster cooperation in several areas, such as the circular carbon economy and its technologies, which can effectively contribute to China’s aspirations to make the BRI a green initiative.

Saudi Arabia is determined to become one of the most important exporters of renewable energy and clean hydrogen to support the diversification of energy sources.

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia aims to become a global logistics center, recalling that by 2030, the Kingdom will have approximately 60 logistics regions to meet the needs of the worldwide supply chain.



Saudi Economy Minister: Stability in Middle East Is Imperative for Global Growth

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim speaks at Davos. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim speaks at Davos. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Economy Minister: Stability in Middle East Is Imperative for Global Growth

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim speaks at Davos. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim speaks at Davos. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim stressed on Monday that the Kingdom is looking forward to working with the second Trump administration, as Riyadh has worked with previous ones.

“We look forward to working with the second Trump administration... to address and counter some of the global challenges we’re facing, including the tepid economic growth that we are witnessing as a global community today,” he said from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

The minister then noted that any step towards peace in the Middle East is a positive one, with stability in the region “imperative” for global growth.

In an interview with Bloomberg television, Alibrahim said the Kingdom and the US have long-standing strong relations that have spanned eight decades. “It has been strong regardless of which administration was in office,” he underscored.

“We are here today to work together for global prosperity,” he said, adding that, “any step towards peace is a positive progress step. We in the Kingdom have always called for laying a clear and universal path towards more peace, more stability.”

Also, Alibrahim said the Kingdom is always focusing on fostering more global dialogue.

“We’ve been invited to the BRICS, similar to how we’ve been invited to many other multilateral platforms in the past historically,” he said. “We assess many different aspects of it before a decision is made and right now, we are in the middle of that.”

He added that Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia’s program to a long-term restructure of the economy. “Vision 2030 is on track and moving with a lot of momentum,” the minister stressed.

The Kingdom’s focus-areas is building more human capital potential and having human-led growth, he noted.