RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NHC Innovation, the digital and technological arm of the National Housing Co., signed three strategic partnership agreements with Huawei, Lenovo, and ByteDance in Shenzhen, China.
The agreements come as part of the official visit to China by Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, in the presence of NHC CEO Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Bati.
NHC Innovation CEO Rayan bin Abdullah Al-Aql represented the company at the signing of the agreements.
The agreements span artificial intelligence, data science, advanced data centers, knowledge transfer, talent development, and smart city solutions.
Al-Aql said the agreements underscore NHC Innovation’s commitment to forging strategic partnerships with global technology leaders to accelerate the development of smart solutions and leverage international expertise in AI, data science, and smart cities.
He said digital innovation has become a key driver of urban development, improving service efficiency and enhancing quality of life.
He noted that the agreements and memoranda of understanding reflect the company’s direction toward building strategic partnerships with global innovation leaders to accelerate the development of smart solutions and strengthen the use of international expertise in artificial intelligence, data science, and smart cities.
He added that the collaboration also involves studying global models for urban management, municipal services, and smart municipal oversight, as well as leveraging digital technologies to improve the urban landscape and quality of life.
He further highlighted the importance of drawing on Chinese expertise in establishing business districts and attracting investment, thereby enhancing the appeal of real estate projects.
The visit program also included meetings with senior executives of major technology companies, as well as visits to several innovation centers, data centers, and smart factories, in addition to the Longgang Smart Operations Center operated by Huawei.
Saudi Arabia has signed six agreements and memoranda of understanding with Chinese entities and awarded housing projects worth more than SR1.9 billion ($506 million) in Riyadh and Dammam.
The deals, announced during Al-Hogail’s official visit to China from June 13 through 16, cover investment in the construction sector, the adoption of advanced building technologies, knowledge transfer, human capital development, and support for public-private partnerships.
