Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi says Saudi Arabia and China recognize that knowledge, research and innovation are essential pillars, and a vital matter of great importance for global development.

“It is expected that innovative technologies in energy help to overcome the most important challenges facing our two nations in particular and the whole mankind in general,” Al-Naimi said. He was speaking on innovation between countries, especially between the Kingdom and China, at the Saudi Aramco Research Center opening in Beijing.

Al-Naimi explained that the global energy demand will continue to increase, driven by the population growth, increasing number of people belonging to the middle class, and strong desire of all nations for pushing forward the wheel of progress and economic prosperity. “Therefore, it can be said that the need for innovation in the field of energy is affirmed today more than any other time in the human history.”

The minister added: “China will play a pivotal role in this field, and the innovative strategy drawn by the leaders of the People's Republic of China shows a deep understanding of what is required in this area. There is a need to offer appropriate incentives in the market, sound legal frameworks and a variety of financing options. The triangle of governments, commercial entities of all sizes, and educational and research institutes play a vital role in this regard.”

He pointed out that China has already begun work in this field as it spends 2.2 percent of its gross domestic income on research and development (R&D), and graduates more than 900,000 students in engineering fields and disciplines each year. Moreover, it is home to more than 1,600 R&D centers, and this represents enormous progress.

Al-Naimi said Saudi Arabia has taken the initiative in this field. “We in the Kingdom harness innovation in order to diversify the sources of our national economy. The most important pillar we follow in this area is the research and advanced development pillar, where King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a great example of what we do in this framework; university students, and among them of course students from the People's Republic of China, are conducting research to achieve innovations in solar energy and biomass technology, and many other areas that deal with the energy sector.”

He added: “We also intend in this regard to transform scientific discoveries into technologies that can be marketed commercially. At the end of the day, we want the kind of science and technology that will help us to overcome the biggest challenges facing the world in energy and development.”

He added: “As regards cooperation between the two countries, we look forward to fathoming the new ideas and take advantage of the great skills enjoyed by the People's Republic of China. We want to cooperate with the best institutes, companies and universities of China working in R&D. There is trust and friendship between the two peoples.”

Al-Naimi said: “All of this brings me to the second theme of my talk, which is this new and wonderful center opened by Saudi Aramco Research in Beijing.”

He added: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognizes that the participation of major companies and their contribution to the innovation system in China enhance the prospects of benefits shared between the two countries and interests in the future. This is based on part of our plan in this area to engage in the global innovation efforts in areas that have growing expertise and capacity in this regard. Therefore, this center represents a pioneering step forward in the relationship between the two friendly peoples.”

He confirmed that the Kingdom is fully committed to “deepening successful relationship with China and Chinese partners.”