Aramco deepens engagement with China’s new quality development agenda at the 2026 Beijing CBD Forum

Aramco participated in the 2026 Beijing CBD Forum, held in Beijing from June 15 to 17, reaffirming its long-term commitment to China and its confidence in the Chinese market as a key anchor of global industrial and supply chains. 

Established in 2000, the Beijing CBD Forum has developed into a major international platform for high-level dialogue, serving as an important window into China’s opening-up and Beijing’s role as a global business and investment hub. The Forum brings together senior government officials, multinational companies, and industry leaders to exchange perspectives on investment trends, cross-border cooperation, and global economic development.

The 2026 Forum was convened under the theme “Opening Up and New Quality: Global Shifts and China’s New Chapter,” continuing its long-standing focus on “Dialogue with the World for Common Development.” Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty and the restructuring of industrial and supply chains, international participants widely emphasized that China remains a stabilizing force in the global economy, offering scale, resilience, and long-term growth potential. 

In his address, Al-Arfaj noted that China’s transition toward new quality development represents a fundamental shift from scale-driven expansion to innovation-led, productivity-focused, and sustainability-oriented growth. He emphasized that this transformation is reshaping industrial demand and creating new opportunities for long-term international partners committed to technology, advanced manufacturing, and deeper value-chain integration.

Drawing on Aramco’s experience in China, Al-Arfaj outlined the company’s diversified industrial presence, including integrated refining and petrochemical projects in Fujian, Liaoning, and Zhejiang. These projects are designed not only for scale, but for high chemical conversion and advanced materials, closely aligning with China’s growing demand from sectors such as new energy vehicles, high-end equipment manufacturing, and electronics. He underscored that Aramco’s role in China is evolving from a traditional energy supplier into a strategic partner providing raw materials, technologies, and solutions that support industrial upgrading and high-quality growth.
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​Al-Arfaj also highlighted how China’s innovation-driven development is influencing Aramco’s own transformation into an AI-and digital-powered energy and chemicals enterprise. He noted that digital technologies, advanced analytics, and intelligent systems are increasingly embedded across Aramco’s operations to enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. In this context, China plays an important role as a partner in research, engineering, and innovation, supported by platforms such as the Aramco Beijing Research Center and NEXCEL, which connect global industrial capabilities with China’s strong research base and engineering talent.

He further noted that beyond industrial assets, Aramco’s engagement with China extends to innovation and entrepreneurship, supported by Prosperity7 and LAB7, linking China’s innovation ecosystem with global industrial deployment. Looking ahead, Al-Arfaj reaffirmed Aramco’s commitment to deepening engagement with China—not only as an energy partner, but as a long-term co-investor and co-innovator supporting China’s high-quality, innovation-driven development and a more resilient global economy.