Da Jia Hao. Hello everyone.
Unfortunately, I am unable to be there in person today. However, I am delighted that technology enables me to join you virtually.
China and Saudi Arabia enjoy the world's most important energy partnership – and Saudi Aramco is proud to be a key contributor to this mutually beneficial and long-standing relationship.
Today, it is my privilege to join Ms. Zhan, Vice President of China National Building Material Group, and Mr. Ma, Chairman of China Building Materials Academy, as we mark this important partnership.
Indeed, there is a saying that perfectly describes this collaboration…
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
By working together in the establishment of NEXCEL – the Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center for Building Materials – we anticipate much success as we jointly promote nonmetallics as an alternative to conventional construction and building materials.
Aramco is bringing to the table more than two decades of experience in developing and deploying advanced nonmetallic materials in our own pipelines and construction projects.
Meanwhile, China has made remarkable technological advances in developing nonmetallic materials for use in the construction and housing industries. CNBM is a world leader in many fields. And CBMA is a world-class R&D powerhouse.
Now, by all working together we will be able to pool our collective knowledge to further accelerate the research, development and use of nonmetallics.
For us, the rationale for using nonmetallics is obvious: they offer superior lifecycle cost, efficiency and environmental advantages over their metal alternatives.
Unlike traditional steel rebar, polymer rebar is resistant to corrosion. This can translate into lower costs and increased efficiency due to infrastructure and buildings having longer lifespans.
In terms of environmental benefits, creating nonmetallics from petrochemicals can result in less carbon emissions over the life cycle than traditional steel.
Plus, there is an additional benefit related to conserving groundwater as concrete mixed with polymer does not need to be cured using freshwater.
Simply put, the establishment of NEXCEL offers enormous and exciting opportunities…
Opportunities to save costs.
Opportunities to prolong the life of buildings and infrastructure.
Opportunities to potentially lower carbon footprints.
Opportunities to conserve resources like groundwater.
In short, opportunities to increase the sustainability of an extremely vital industry that provides significant value to people and society as a whole.
In closing, let me just say we are very excited to work together with CNBM and CBMA on establishing NEXCEL.
We have high expectations for the enormous potential of this important partnership to achieve great success.
Thank you. Xie Xie.