DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is focused on the production of green molecules, said Prince Abdelaziz bin Salman Al Saud, the Kingdom’s minister of energy.

“Our plans are clear to everyone, we are focusing on the molecule,” the prince said at a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh. “Being environmentally conscious is our human duty, whatever we do today should not endanger any aspirations of future generations.”

In a session focused on green molecules such as biofuels, hydrogen, and their derivatives, experts discussed various countries’ plans on how to move forward with the production of green molecules.  

For his part, Prince Abdelaziz said he believed the concept should be color agnostic, because the molecule business has to do with how we produce clean energy, and that has no color.

“There is a carbon footprint that we need to manage and mitigate. I think stigmatizing things might narrow our choices rather than expand (them). We believe, as Saudis, that we require all the sources of energy, be it nuclear, hydrocarbon-based, or synthetic fuels. We are open to choices.” 

The prince also said the kingdom is “libertarian” in its business approach, willing to share the expertise with other countries and that it is already in business with some European states.

“While the technology remains challenging, we continue to work on it to make it accessible and affordable to all,” he said.

The United Arab Emirate’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei said that, as in Saudi Arabia, leaders in the UAE are aware of the need to invest in new energy. 

“The region has become important in tackling problems and coming up with solutions,” Al Mazrouei said. “Clean energy is something we decided to venture into 17 years ago as we were thinking about what is going to happen when we export the last barrel of oil.”

Echoing the prince’s remarks, Al Mazrouei said consumers should not be limited to those considered ready simply because they can afford the price.

“We are working on the technology to make it accessible to all,” he said.

Amani Abou Zeid, commissioner for infrastructure and energy of the African Union, said that Africa has different levels of development and needs and expressed the need for alternative power options.

“Overall we are still electrified in only 49 percent of the continent, so more than half of the population doesn’t have electricity. Africa can’t afford to discard any solution at this point.”

Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies SE, alongside Shrikant Vaidya, chairman of India’s Oil Corporation, and Erasmo Carlos Battistella, CEO of Be8, reiterated the importance of accessibility and affordability when producing green molecules.

Despite the positives from those countries engaged in the production of green molecules, such as job creation, there is still a long way to go. 

Prince Abdelaziz said: “I think we should be conscious of the fact that the challenge is big, we are still talking about artificial intelligence, the component of the electrification, and what is required for it; the world will require clean molecules (and) it is our hope that we all work together to ensure this happens.” 

RIYADH: Digital advancements in Saudi Arabia have significantly enhanced efficiency across key sectors, reducing the need for physical visits to government departments and leading to considerable savings, said a top official. 

Addressing the annual meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Ahmed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, highlighted major improvements made through digitalization as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives aimed at enhancing basic services.  

He underscored the tangible benefits of increased productivity and decreased expenses for governments, citizens, and businesses. 

“In Saudi Arabia, as part of the various programs and objectives of Vision 2030 for basic services, whether it is the issuance or renewal of national IDs, driving licenses, or even passports, before digitalization, it took more than four hours, including the waiting time at government departments,” said Al-Suwaiyan. 

Today, he added, it actually takes less than two minutes without the need to visit the government department, requiring only three clicks.  

“This has actually made us save more than 160 million trips and more than SR23 million annually,” said Al-Suwaiyan.   

He emphasized that “this is the value that we are talking about,” highlighting how increasing productivity and reducing costs benefit not only governments but also citizens and enterprises through digitization. 

The governor emphasized how digital transformation has influenced each pillar of the Vision 2030 goals, enabling swift advancements within the Kingdom. 

“I would like to speak about Vision 2030, where digital transformation is a key enabler that we can see cross-cutting all the different sectors and all objectives in the development of Vision 2030. If we talk about a “vibrant society,” we can see a clear link with the participation and engagement for every citizen. And the same goes for a thriving economy,” he said. 

The official further expressed that merely adopting digitization to do so is not the goal. Instead, the authorities’ efforts are simply a “means” to create a more efficient society.  

In the Kingdom’s justice sector, a similar transformation has occurred with the establishment of fully operational virtual courts, where 95 percent of all hearings are conducted online. 

However, the primary focus is not solely on the implementation of virtual courts, but rather on achieving specific outcomes. 

One notable outcome has been the significant reduction in the time taken for case processing, with the average duration decreasing from 217 days to just 30 days, from the opening of the case to the issuance of the resolution. 

This reduction in processing time exemplifies the tangible value derived from digital transformation efforts.