Saudi Arabia Signs Cooperation Agreements to Develop Contracting Sector

The opening ceremony of the FPF saw the signing of several MOUs with the Saudi Contractors Authority. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The opening ceremony of the FPF saw the signing of several MOUs with the Saudi Contractors Authority. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Signs Cooperation Agreements to Develop Contracting Sector

The opening ceremony of the FPF saw the signing of several MOUs with the Saudi Contractors Authority. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The opening ceremony of the FPF saw the signing of several MOUs with the Saudi Contractors Authority. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majed Al-Hogail said that the Future Projects Forum (FPF) will contribute to raising the efficiency and competitiveness of contractors and enable them to keep pace with the latest technologies to implement development projects within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The Forum, which kicked off in Riyadh on Monday, will also enhance communication between the local and international public and private sectors, according to the minister.

Secretary-General of the Saudi Contractors Authority Thabet Al-Sweid said the FPF, which extends over three days, would feature various projects pertaining to oil and gas and others within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

He added that the virtual conference is attended by more than 10,000 local and foreign contractors and stakeholders, in addition to 39 entities, including ministries and companies, such as Aramco, SABIC, the Red Sea Project and Amaala.

The director of Mega Projects at SABIC, Dhaifallah Al-Maliki, noted that the company was seeking to support contractors in raising the quality of projects in terms of safety and execution speed.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on all sectors, Maliki said, stressing that SABIC has contributed to fighting its repercussions out of its social responsibility, with a budget equivalent of 123 million riyals.

The company has also encouraged local contractors to enhance their participation in the local content and contribute to the implementation of the best standards in the economic activity.

For his part, Khaled Al-Saif, Chairman of the Saudi Contractors Authority, said that the forum aims to raise the efficiency and competitiveness of contractors, and to keep pace with the technical requirements and capabilities necessary to implement future projects within Saudi Vision 2030.

Amaala, a premium tourist project that extends along the northwest coast of the Kingdom, signed an MOU with the Saudi Contractors Authority, to cooperate in several areas, including the establishment of an electronic platform for project sharing.

The opening ceremony of the FPF saw the signing of several MOUs with the Saudi Contractors Authority, including an agreement with the Center for Legal Studies and Research to activate joint cooperation between the two sides.



Saudi Arabia, Canada Discuss Smart Industrial Cities

The meetings held by the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries. SPA
The meetings held by the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Canada Discuss Smart Industrial Cities

The meetings held by the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries. SPA
The meetings held by the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries. SPA

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef has discussed with Canadian government ministers ways to bolster industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries, opportunities for developing industrial innovation, and building an effective partnership to establish smart industrial cities in the Kingdom by leveraging Canadian expertise.

During his meeting with Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne, and accompanied by National Industrial Development Center Chief Executive Saleh AlSulami, Alkhorayef underscored the Kingdom's commitment to benefiting from the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, to develop the industrial sector and create added value, while improving production efficiency in industrial facilities.

Meeting participants discussed enhancing cooperation in the field of industrial digitization, utilizing AI technologies to improve industrial processes, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in building smart industrial cities in the Kingdom, benefiting from Canadian advancements in digital infrastructure.

The two sides also discussed collaboration between the Kingdom and Canada in the field of innovation, including the partnership between the Saudi Ministry of Education and Metax, a Canadian research organization funded by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry with a focus on providing joint research opportunities for graduate and doctoral students in both countries.

During a meeting with Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, Alkhorayef discussed ways to enhance economic relations and non-oil trade between the two countries, given the fact that the Kingdom is the largest trading partner for Canada in the Middle East and North Africa. The ministers reviewed the role of industrial development globally in advancing communities, increasing their well-being, and improving individuals' living standards.

Alkhorayef and Canada's Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MIHR) executive director Ryan Montpellier discussed opportunities to benefit from council's expertise in workforce human capabilities development strategies in the mining sector.

The meetings held by the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are part of his visit to Canada, aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries, exploring mutual opportunities in both sectors, and attracting foreign investments to the Kingdom.