KAPSARC, IEEJ Sign Agreement to Strengthen Partnership between Saudi Arabia and Japan

The signing ceremony, which was held in Jeddah, came on the sidelines of the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Saudi Arabia
The signing ceremony, which was held in Jeddah, came on the sidelines of the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Saudi Arabia
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KAPSARC, IEEJ Sign Agreement to Strengthen Partnership between Saudi Arabia and Japan

The signing ceremony, which was held in Jeddah, came on the sidelines of the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Saudi Arabia
The signing ceremony, which was held in Jeddah, came on the sidelines of the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Saudi Arabia

The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) to support their strategic partnership, lay a solid foundation for joint ventures, and promote areas of applied research activities, with the aim of accelerating innovation and stimulating the energy transition for a more sustainable energy future.

The signing ceremony, which was held in Jeddah on Tuesday, came on the sidelines of the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Saudi Arabia.

The new cooperation agreement comes within the framework of the "Manar" initiative for clean energy cooperation, launched by the Saudi and Japanese sides, to be a guiding light to other countries and regions of the world in their quest to develop their strategies and plans to achieve their ambitions to reach climate neutrality.

The Saudi-Japanese cooperation includes research and applied activities that include joint workshops, holding events and participation in international conferences, evaluating experts specialized in the same field for research and policy papers, and exchanging researchers. KAPSARC and the IEEJ seek to make a positive impact on the energy community by building a supportive knowledge sharing ecosystem.

Expanding the scope of mutual collaboration, the partnership will encompass areas of mutual interest by combining knowledge wealth and research capabilities, including innovative solutions to address contemporary energy challenges such as hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels (methane), carbon capture, use and storage technologies, carbon recycling and direct air capture, nuclear energy, and a variety of other specialized solutions to address today's energy challenges.

"The collaboration between KAPSARC and IEEJ has gone beyond energy, climate, and sustainability policies to include various other supporting factors such as technology and finance, with the aim of ensuring a fair and inclusive energy transition," said KAPSARC President Fahad Al-Ajlan.

"This transition is a pivotal pillar not only for both countries, but for the entire world, where more than 3 billion people lack access to energy,” he said.

IEEJ Chairman and CEO Tatsuya Terazawa pointed out the importance of consolidating cooperation with KAPSARC through this agreement and said he looks forward to strengthening cooperation with KAPSARC at the highest level to materialize the hoped-for expectations into reality and work towards achieving global leadership.



Trump Says he 'Couldn't Care Less' if Car Makers Hike Prices Due to Tariffs

President Donald Trump waves to supporters from his limousine as he arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Donald Trump waves to supporters from his limousine as he arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Trump Says he 'Couldn't Care Less' if Car Makers Hike Prices Due to Tariffs

President Donald Trump waves to supporters from his limousine as he arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Donald Trump waves to supporters from his limousine as he arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he did not warn car industry executives against raising prices as tariffs on foreign-made autos come into force, telling NBC News he "couldn't care less" if they do.

The White House has been preparing to impose new tariffs on a range of consumer goods on April 2, a move that has drawn criticism from international leaders and concerns about potential price increases for consumers.

In the NBC News interview, Trump said his permanent tariffs on foreign-made automobiles would be a boost to US-domiciled factories and was confident the move would lead to increased sales of American-made cars. "I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars," Reuters quoted Trump as saying.

Trump maintained that he would only consider negotiating on the tariffs "if people are willing to give us something of great value."

The tariffs are part of Trump's efforts to promote American manufacturing and reduce the country's trade deficit.

Trump's trade policies have been a key focus of his presidency, with ongoing tensions with major trading partners.