Al-Hogail Concludes Visit To Korea To Strengthen Partnerships For Smart Cities And Housing Supply

Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail recently completed a tour of Asia, visiting China and South Korea. The trip aimed to bolster international collaborations in housing, infrastructure, and smart city initiatives. This effort aligns with the ministry's goals to increase housing availability, balance the real estate market, and introduce modern technologies to improve life quality in Saudi cities.

During his visit to China, the National Housing Company (NHC) entered into several agreements with major Chinese companies. These agreements aim to construct over 24,000 housing units as part of a larger plan to build 100,000 Saudi-Chinese homes by 2030. This initiative supports the ministry's strategy to diversify partnerships globally and adopt modern construction methods for better efficiency.

In South Korea, Minister Al-Hogail engaged in discussions with key officials, including Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon. Their talks focused on advancing housing systems and integrating cutting-edge technologies for smart city development. Additionally, he met with NAVER's leadership to assess progress on the Balady digital twin project’s second phase.

The minister also witnessed a memorandum signing between NHC and GS E&C. This agreement aims to develop a unique residential project within Al-Fursan, Riyadh's largest urban development initiative. Such collaborations are part of the ministry's comprehensive approach to enhancing partnerships in housing, infrastructure, and real estate technology globally.

Minister Al-Hogail highlighted that these partnerships will boost implementation efficiency and enhance citizens' experiences in homeownership journeys. They also aim to stabilize the real estate market while fostering sustainable urban growth. "These partnerships will help enhance implementation efficiency, improve the citizen experience throughout the homeownership journey, and promote real estate market stability and sustainable urban growth," he stated.

The outcomes of this Asian tour represent significant progress towards building smarter Saudi cities through advanced technologies and best practices in urban planning. This approach is consistent with Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives to create vibrant cities that improve life quality and support national development across all regions.

With inputs from SPA