Municipalities Minister Opens Saudi-Chinese Contractors Forum, Discusses Partnerships in Housing, Urban Technologies

Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail inaugurated today the Saudi-Chinese Contractors Forum in Shenzhen, China, as part of an official visit to China from June 13 to 16 aimed at enhancing strategic partnerships in housing, construction, infrastructure, and smart technologies, while opening new horizons for cooperation and investment between the two countries.

 The visit includes a series of meetings with government entities and global companies specializing in urban development, housing, smart city technologies, and digital transformation. Discussions also focus on opportunities for technology transfer, localization of industries related to the construction sector, and follow-up on a number of joint partnerships and initiatives that contribute to achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.

 The forum comes as an extension of the growing path of economic and investment cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China, underpinned by the strong strategic relations linking the two countries and their expanding cooperation in infrastructure, technology, industry, supply chains, and urban development.

 Al-Hogail said that the forum reflects the advancement of Saudi-Chinese relations and their transition to more advanced levels of partnership and integration. He noted that the Kingdom is moving rapidly toward developing the construction and housing sector through attracting global expertise, localizing modern technologies, enhancing local content, and building national capabilities.

 The forum witnessed broad participation from government entities and leading companies from both Saudi Arabia and China, where participants discussed opportunities for cooperation and investment in the construction sector, exchanged expertise in modern construction, sustainability, and advanced technologies, and explored ways to support sustainable urban development.

 The forum also saw the signing of six memoranda of understanding between Saudi and Chinese entities and companies aimed at boosting cooperation in investment, localization of modern construction technologies, knowledge and expertise transfer, human capital development, and support for public-private partnerships. The agreements covered sustainable construction, advanced technological solutions, supply chain development, and creating joint investment opportunities, contributing to the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 and enhancing economic integration between the two countries.

 The forum is one of the initiatives supporting Saudi Vision 2030 goals to increase housing supply and improve quality of life. Saudi Arabia is moving forward with plans to develop more than 100,000 housing units in partnership with Chinese companies by 2030, reflecting the evolution of Saudi-Chinese relations from traditional trade cooperation to a comprehensive development and technology partnership that supports sustainable growth in both countries.