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Aramco Inaugurates First Saudi Fiberglass Facility

A Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at the oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at the oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Aramco Inaugurates First Saudi Fiberglass Facility

A Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at the oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at the oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Saudi Aramco inaugurated the first fiberglass rebar plant in the Kingdom, which is expected to localize the industry and reduce steel rebar consumption, as a sustainable new corrosion-free material that could help achieve carbon neutrality targets.

Aramco’s senior vice president of technical services, Ahmad al-Saadi inaugurated the plant following a deal signed in 2019 by New Zealand’s Pultron Composites and its partner Isam Khairy Kabbani Group (IKK).

According to a statement, the facility’s launch is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract and localize the rebar industry. It is also in line with the efforts to achieve Vision 2030.

Saadi explained that Aramco has been developing and deploying non-metallic solutions within its operations for more than 20 years, noting that the use of non-metallic, advanced polymer materials has significant potential in multiple sectors.

“Moreover, technologies such as GFRP rebar, which mitigate corrosion and minimize life cycle cost, have potential to be the real game-changers for the building and construction sector in particular.”

IKK Group chairman Hassan al-Kabbani said: “We are introducing a revolutionary new technology that will start to replace the iconic construction material that has been around for over a century now.”

Meanwhile, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) signed an agreement for rail container transportation services with Saudi Railways (SAR).

The agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh al-Jasser, SABIC Chairman Khalid al-Dabbagh, and SAR CEO Bashar al-Malik.

SABIC CEO Yousef al-Benyan confirmed that the project is part of the company’s contribution to achieving Vision 2030 by providing safe, reliable, fast, and environmentally compatible transportation solutions to serve local industries.

Under the agreement, SAR will transport SABIC’s polymer products by rail from the logistics facility in the port to the delivery point of the port of Dammam, and the point of delivery of empty containers to the logistics facility in the port.

SABIC’s global supply chain is cooperating with SAR to maximize the benefit of this agreement, including the increase in the internal rate of return, cost savings, enhanced operational added value, and meeting sustainability requirements, including fuel savings by 70 percent which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.