Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef stressed that the Kingdom took advantage of various technologies to achieve growth in the industrial and mining sectors, and that technology enables business owners to be productive and effective.
Taking part in a panel discussion titled "Where Manufacturing and Tech Collide", held as part of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting in Riyadh today, Al-Khorayef talked about the transformation witnessed by the manufacturing sector over the past 25 years, which has served many countries, including the Kingdom, and about advanced solutions to lower the carbon footprint, stressing the importance of developing human capital by helping youths interested in technological advancements.
The minister also tackled infrastructure development and preparing regulations and guidelines to secure reliable use of information and data usage, and cybersecurity, and future programs that target 4,000 factories, SPA reported.
He stressed the importance of developing an economic system that takes advantage of technologies like digital twin and 5G for operating and managing the mining sector, especially in remote areas.
Al-Khorayef also spoke about the Saudi industrial base, which has the largest number of active entities and plays a main role in turning ideas into real solutions, making use of technologies that contribute added value to countries.



In Norway, Nearly all New Cars Sold in 2024 were Fully Electric

This photo provided by Toyota shows the Toyota bZ4X SUV Battery-Electric Vehicle. (Toyota via AP)
This photo provided by Toyota shows the Toyota bZ4X SUV Battery-Electric Vehicle. (Toyota via AP)
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In Norway, Nearly all New Cars Sold in 2024 were Fully Electric

This photo provided by Toyota shows the Toyota bZ4X SUV Battery-Electric Vehicle. (Toyota via AP)
This photo provided by Toyota shows the Toyota bZ4X SUV Battery-Electric Vehicle. (Toyota via AP)

Nine out of ten new cars sold in Norway last year were powered by battery only, registration data showed on Thursday, placing the country within reach of its target of only adding cars that are electric on the road by 2025, Reuters said.
Fully electric vehicles accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold in 2024, up from 82.4% in 2023, data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) showed. Top-selling brands were Tesla, followed by Volkswagen and Toyota.
"Norway will be the first country in the world to pretty much erase petrol and diesel engine cars from the new car market," said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV association.