Saudi Arabia: Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Sunday attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding to launch the NovusCrete consortium, a global collaboration to develop and accelerate the adoption of sustainable and durable saltwater concrete.

The consortium, led by the Kingdom's Oil Sustainability Program, also seeks to create standards for using seawater in concrete, promote sustainability in construction by recycling waste, extend infrastructure lifespan, and reduce environmental impact.

Leading Saudi organizations taking part in the consortium include the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Investment Recycling Company, NEOM through its Design and Construction Sector, Sika, and ClimateCrete.

The participating parties said they aim to develop sustainable technologies for concrete production, focusing on reducing the construction sector’s carbon footprint and enhancing material efficiency.

They will also improve Saudi Arabia’s construction sector by promoting seawater concrete solutions using local materials.

The signing ceremony in Riyadh was also attended by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF; Saad Al-Qasabi, governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization; and Khalid Al-Salem, president of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.

The new consortium includes international organizations, such as the American Concrete Institute.