Saudi Arabia, France Sign MoU on Energy Cooperation

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna after signing the MoU on Thursday. (SPAP)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna after signing the MoU on Thursday. (SPAP)
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Saudi Arabia, France Sign MoU on Energy Cooperation

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna after signing the MoU on Thursday. (SPAP)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna after signing the MoU on Thursday. (SPAP)

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman held talks in Riyadh on Thursday with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who was on an official visit to the Kingdom.

They discussed prospects of cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and future opportunities in various energy fields, including renewable energy, clean hydrogen, and electricity interconnection.

The ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework for collaboration in the energy sector.

The MoU encourages cooperation between their countries in the fields of electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, smart grids, oil and gas and their derivatives, refining, petrochemicals, and the distribution and marketing sectors.

This will further the collaboration in technologies, with an aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in hard-to-abate sectors, and the production of hydrogen, as well as other technological innovations.

The MoU also promotes cooperation in digital transformation, localization of materials, products and services in the energy supply chain, collaboration between companies in the energy sector, joint research in universities, research centers and other forums, as well as building human capacity through training and exchanging of experience in the energy sector.



Alswaha: Saudi Arabia's Participation at WEF Strengthens Global Efforts in AI Technologies

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha. SPA file photo
Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha. SPA file photo
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Alswaha: Saudi Arabia's Participation at WEF Strengthens Global Efforts in AI Technologies

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha. SPA file photo
Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha. SPA file photo

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha has underlined the Kingdom's pivotal role in driving the global agenda to enhance the digital economy, foster innovation, and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to serve humanity and protect the planet.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), he highlighted that the Kingdom's international standing is a result of the support and guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The minister explained that Saudi Arabia's participation in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, held from January 20 to 24, comes at a time when the world is transitioning from the digital age to the AI age.

This underscores the Kingdom's significant role in leading global efforts to promote innovation and utilize AI for the benefit of humanity.

He noted that the annual high-profile gathering provides a global platform to showcase the Kingdom's developmental, economic, and technological achievements under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, made possible by the support of the Kingdom's leadership.

Alswaha said that Saudi Arabia is working in partnership with the international community to harness AI as a key tool for advancing sustainable development and achieving global goals, adding that these efforts aim to improve quality of life, support the digital economy, and create new job opportunities across various sectors, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous future for all.