Saudi Arabia has signed a series of housing, construction and technology agreements worth SAR1.9 billion ($507 million) with Chinese partners, including China State Construction Engineering, as the kingdom deepens cooperation with China in support of its Vision 2030 transformation programme.
The agreements were concluded during a visit to China by Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid Al-Hogail, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
Speaking at a signing ceremony in Shenzhen, Al-Hogail said Saudi Arabia was accelerating the rollout of housing and urban development projects as part of its long-term economic diversification strategy. He noted that collaboration with Chinese companies would play an important role in supporting the kingdom's broader development agenda.
The partnership between the two countries is also evolving beyond traditional construction and infrastructure projects, with a growing focus on smart-city development, digital technologies and urban management solutions.
Mohammad Albuty, chief executive officer of National Housing Company (NHC), Saudi Arabia's largest property developer, said cooperation is increasingly extending into areas such as smart-city technologies, city operations and digital services.
As part of this shift, the kingdom has entered into agreements with several major Chinese technology companies, including ByteDance, Huawei and Lenovo, aimed at creating more intelligent and efficient urban environments.
Albuty said the agreement with ByteDance covers the development of artificial intelligence strategies, models and applications designed to enhance digital services and support data-driven decision-making. The partnership also includes cooperation on data-centre infrastructure within NHC's business districts.
Meanwhile, a separate memorandum of understanding with Huawei focuses on smart-city technologies, urban-management systems and potential investment in data-centre projects.
According to Albuty, AI has the potential to transform every stage of urban development, from city planning and feasibility assessments to automated design processes and more accurate forecasting of construction-material requirements.
The technology can also improve project execution and support the long-term operation of cities after completion, helping authorities enhance efficiency, lower costs and deliver better services to residents, he added.
