Korean envoy invites Saudi Arabia to GICC2021

Korean Ambassador Jo Byung-Wook during a meeting with Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr and officials from Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing. (Supplied)
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Updated 20 April 2021
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Korean envoy invites Saudi Arabia to GICC2021

  • The annual conference provides an opportunity to present projects to potential Korean partners, and to hold personal consultations

RIYADH: South Korean Ambassador Jo Byung-Wook has invited Saudi Arabia to attend the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC2021).

The annual conference provides an opportunity to present projects to potential Korean partners, and to hold personal consultations.

The ambassador met Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing for housing subsidies, and general supervisor of the International Cooperation Department at the ministry in Riyadh.

GICC2021 is scheduled for “later this year,” the ambassador told Arab News, adding that the meeting “reviewed the close, friendly and cooperative relations” between the two countries, and “agreed to continue to expand bilateral cooperation in the housing sector.”

He said: “I commended the Saudi government’s efforts to help Saudi families own their house through the Sakani program, taking note of the signing of four agreements during the Sakani Forum held last Thursday in Riyadh.”

The Sakani program helped 70,000 families in the first quarter of 2021, surpassing its target of serving 51,000 families.

It was formed in 2017 by the Ministry of Housing and the Real Estate Development Fund, with the aim of facilitating home ownership in the Kingdom by creating new housing stock, allocating plots and homes to nationals, and financing their purchase. It has a goal of reaching 70 percent home ownership by 2030.

The program aims to serve 220,000 Saudi families this year by creating 50,000 housing units, facilitating the reservation of 30,000 residential land plots, and arranging 140,000 real estate loans. To date, Sakani has enabled more than 350,000 families to own homes.


Saudi Arabia’s industrial output rises 10.4% in November: GASTAT 

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Saudi Arabia’s industrial output rises 10.4% in November: GASTAT 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s industrial output rose at its fastest rate in months, climbing 10.4 percent year on year in November, supported by stronger manufacturing activity and higher oil production, official data showed. 

The Industrial Production Index increased to 114.4, up from 103.6 a year earlier, according to the General Authority for Statistics, though the index slipped 0.7 percent from October.

The latest figures highlight continued momentum in the Kingdom’s industrial sector as Saudi Arabia pursues economic diversification under its Vision 2030 agenda.

In its latest report, GASTAT stated: “Preliminary results indicate an increase of 10.4 percent in the IPI in November 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year, supported by the rise in mining and quarrying activity, manufacturing activity and water supply, sewerage and waste management and remediation activities.”  

The sub-index of mining and quarrying activity increased by 12.6 percent year on year in November, supported by Saudi Arabia’s decision to raise oil production to 10.1 million barrels per day, compared to 8.9 million bpd a year earlier. 

Manufacturing activity rose by 8.1 percent compared to November 2024, driven by a 14.5 percent increase in the production of coke and refined petroleum products. The manufacture of chemical products also recorded a 10.9 percent annual rise.

In contrast, the sub-index of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply declined by 4.3 percent year on year, while water supply, sewerage and waste management and remediation activities rose by 10.2 percent. 

On a month-on-month basis, the overall IPI fell by 0.7 percent in November. 

Mining and quarrying activity rose by 0.5 percent from October, while manufacturing activity edged up by 0.3 percent.

However, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply recorded a sharp monthly decline of 28.6 percent. Water supply, sewerage and waste management and remediation activities fell by 3.1 percent over the same period. 

Overall, the index of oil activities advanced by 12.9 percent year on year in November, while non-oil activities increased by 4.4 percent. 

Compared to October, oil activities rose by 0.4 percent, while non-oil activities declined by 3.4 percent. 

The IPI measures changes in industrial output based on the International Standard Industrial Classification framework and covers mining, manufacturing, utilities, and waste management sectors.