RIYADH: The Diriyah Gate Development Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oil Sustainability Program to promote the usage of sustainable polymer construction materials, as Saudi Arabia continues its journey to achieve a nature-friendly environment, a press release said.
Launched in 2020, OSP is an initiative of multiple government agencies, research institutions and companies to promote innovative hydrocarbon-based materials, new and sustainable uses for these materials, such as using polymer-based materials.
The DGDA which was established in 2017 to conserve the historical city of Diriyah will get the required technical and logistic support under the deal, allowing it to ensure sustainability principles and environmental protection in its projects.
The MoU, signed by Mohammad Hitham Al-Tayyar, program director of OSP and Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of DGDA, aims at building strategic cooperation between the OSP and DGDA on hydrocarbon-based materials.
The deal will include identifying opportunities that would improve the construction and operation processes in DGDA’s projects and developing plans to assess and implement these opportunities, according to the press statement.
The DGDA works on designing, restoring and renovating Diriyah through several ambitious projects while applying the traditional Najdi architecture principles, for which the cities and villages of the Kingdom’s central region have been known for centuries, the release added.
Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman and Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, who is also the Secretary-General of the Board of Directors of DGDA, attended the signing ceremony.