Saudi MODON, Techno for Advanced Materials Agree to Establish First CNTs Plant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Saudi MODON, Techno for Advanced Materials Agree to Establish First CNTs Plant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

The Saudi Organization for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) signed an agreement with a technology company for advanced materials to host the latter’s first plant to produce Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in an effort to empower the industry in Saudi Arabia and support value added industries.

While Saudi Arabia has been working to boost the growth of industrial production, thus increasing its contribution to its GDP, Modon aims to support value added industries and stimulate local companies to expand in this field.

The agreement aims at supporting the specialized company to establish its first factory for the production of CNTs, which stimulate the paint industry and is in line with modern construction techniques.

It comes as Saudi factories achieved positive growth rates in the second quarter of 2018, confirming the vitality of these factories and their ability to contribute effectively to the Kingdom’s GDP.

The country’s economic growth rates started to increase in 2018, with expectations for higher growth this year.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics issued the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the second Quarter 2018, which shows the results of the relative change and development in the quantities of materials and goods produced.

“When comparing the results of the second quarter 2018 with the results of the previous quarter (Q1 2018), we find that the production quantities have increased by 4.17 percent in all industrial activities, amounting to 137.87 points,” the report said.

The production increase rate in the mining and quarrying activity rise up 1.89 percent. However, the production growth rate increased by 5.07 percent in the manufacturing industry activity, and the electricity and gas supply activity rise by 83.46 percent.

“Furthermore, when comparing the results of the second quarter 2018 with the results of the second quarter 2017, we find that the production quantities increase by 5.84 percent in all industrial activities,” the report explained.

The production growth rate recorded 16.44 percent in the manufacturing industry activity while the production rate of electricity and gas supply has recorded a decrease of 0.30 percent.

These results coincide with the process of providing industrial land developed at very nominal prices, one of the most important support tools provided by Saudi Arabia to investors in the industrial sector, in addition to the provision of high financial loans to these investors.



EU May Suspend Syria Sanctions on Energy and Transport

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
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EU May Suspend Syria Sanctions on Energy and Transport

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

The European Union may soon suspend sanctions on Syria related to energy and transport but has yet to agree on whether to ease restrictions on financial transactions, according to three diplomats and a document seen by Reuters.
EU foreign ministers will discuss the matter at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. The bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on Wednesday she hopes a political agreement on easing the sanctions can be reached at the gathering.
Europe’s approach to Damascus began to shift after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president in December by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the United Nations designates as a terrorist group.
Officials see transport as key for helping Syria’s airports become fully operational, which in turn could facilitate the return of refugees. Energy and electricity are similarly seen as important for improving living conditions to help stabilize the country and encourage citizens to come back.
According to an EU document seen by Reuters, diplomats from the bloc's 27 members recommended taking swift action towards suspending the restrictions "in sectors necessary for economic stabilization and launch of economic reconstruction of Syria, such as those regarding energy and transport”.
The diplomats, who are part of a group that negotiates the EU’s foreign policy positions on issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, also recommended “assessing options for reopening banking and investment relations with Syria”.
“The easing of EU restrictive measures would be rolled out in a staged approach and in a reversible manner, regularly assessing if the conditions in Syria allow for further suspension,” the diplomats wrote, pointing to the need for respect for fundamental freedoms and an inclusive transition.
The wording of the document represents a compromise among EU capitals. Some governments want to move quickly to suspend sanctions, while others prefer a more careful and gradual approach to ensure Europe retains leverage.
If a political agreement is announced on Monday, European officials would proceed to work on the technical details of a suspension.
A number of sanctions should remain in place, according to the document, including measures related to the Al-Assad regime, illicit drug trade and arms trade.