Aramco Asia E&TS Vice President attends NEXCEL 2025 project launch

Saad Allowemi, Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services (E&TS), attended the 2025 project launch meeting, marking the official kick-off of a new phase of collaboration under the Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center (NEXCEL). 

The meeting brought together representatives from Aramco, China Building Materials Academy (CBMA), and project teams from leading Chinese universities, research institutes, and companies, including Tsinghua University, Shenzhen University, Hunan University, and China Construction. A total of 16 projects were awarded and formally launched as part of the NEXCEL 2025 program.

In his opening remarks, Allowemi highlighted the strong performance of NEXCEL during its first three-year phase, citing achievements across research and innovation, including academic publications, patents, and industry standards. He also underscored the center’s progress in translating research into practice through demonstration projects that have delivered measurable benefits, such as increased plastic waste recycling and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

“As we launch the 2025 project portfolio, we are not simply starting a new phase of work. We are reaffirming our ambition to innovation-driven development, to standard‑setting leadership, and to sustainable growth for the construction industry. The challenges ahead, resource efficiency, low‑carbon transformation, and industrial upgrading, are complex. But they are also opportunities for NEXCEL to lead with responsibility and purpose,” he noted. 

Allowemi also expressed his appreciation to CBMA and the participating project teams for their continued trust, collaboration, and commitment to NEXCEL’s objectives.

Together with Hou Diyang, president of CBMA and chair of the NEXCEL Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Allowemi presented appointment letters to newly appointed TAC members. Comprising distinguished academic and industry leaders, the committee will play a key role in strengthening technical governance and guiding the program’s strategic direction.

The meeting marked the official start of NEXCEL’s second three-year phase, reinforcing Aramco’s long-term commitment to innovation, sustainability, and international collaboration, while setting the foundation for expanded impact and continued success.

The center was jointly established by Aramco and CBMA to advance the adoption of nonmetallic materials in the building and construction sector in 2022.