Fostering innovation, dedicated R&D and rapid deployment of digital technologies will fast-track Saudi Arabia’s net-zero progress. That was the main message from the first Honeywell Sustainable Buildings and Cities Symposium, which took place in Riyadh. The event welcomed representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and Modern Building Leaders, as well as leading technology specialists and sustainability experts from across the region.
Abdullah Al-Juffali, Honeywell president, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, opened the symposium, highlighting how more than 70 years of experience in the Kingdom has enabled Honeywell to play a leading role in the nation’s digitization journey. The development of a wide range of giga-projects and megaprojects across sectors including oil and gas, smart buildings and aviation provide Saudi Arabia with the opportunity to revolutionize its industries with a sustainability-first approach. Al-Juffali said that combining global technology and innovation with local knowledge and expertise will help Saudi Arabia continue to develop efficiently and deliver greater progress toward Saudi Vision 2030 and net-zero by 2060.
Phil Daniell, vice president and general manager for Honeywell Building Technologies, META, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to make tremendous strides toward its long-term vision and we are proud to be supporting this journey. The key next steps that need to be taken include developing an even more advanced digital infrastructure, enhancing environmental sustainability to create smarter buildings and investing more in human capital development. All of these elements will support Saudi Arabia to achieve its environmental goals and commitments, with localization and diversification being at the heart of the next phase.”
As part of a panel session during the symposium, Yara Sindi, head of monitoring and reporting, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning, said that sustainability is the cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030. She underscored the need to ensure the right regulatory framework for better taxonomy, and said that coordinated policies and regulations will support the Kingdom on its net-zero path, but that the right incentives must be provided for.
Maryam Telmesani, chief sustainability officer at Modern Building Leaders and chair of UN Global Compact, underlined the challenges and opportunities of the private sector in embedding sustainability. She highlighted the importance of community awareness and the role of the private sector in extending sustainability knowledge and practices to the community as a key layer of impact. Telmesani said that this approach will help create business value as it will explain the vision, involve communities in the journey, and consequently increase their demand for sustainable products and living in Saudi Arabia.
Also during the symposium, Honeywell showcased the latest technologies for a wide range of verticals including hospitality, sustainable cities, data centers, healthcare, airports, industrial, commercial fire and security. The company has been delivering such technologies to Saudi Arabia for more than 70 years, and is contributing to the government’s vision to use digitization to advance sustainability efforts in cities.
