Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef dedicated a full day to exploring cutting-edge research facilities at North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park (RTP), meeting with industry experts, as part of his four-day visit to the United States.
The program included an engagement with North Carolina’s Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley and a tour of North Carolina State University’s Energy X Lab and Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL), alongside a visit to the nearby SAS Institute.
Together, these engagements reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to adopting advanced manufacturing technologies and strengthening international partnerships to accelerate its ambitious industrial sector transformation.
Discussions at the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Institute focused on how digital twins, advanced analytics, and machine learning can simulate factory operations, optimize processes before implementation, and extend the lifecycle of industrial equipment.
Alkhorayef’s tour of RTP explored opportunities to collaborate on 3D-printing materials and hybrid manufacturing solutions that can be applied to the Kingdom’s own Advanced Manufacturing and Production Center (AMPC), while learning more about CAMAL’s expertise in supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through additive manufacturing research.
These visits provided a practical demonstration of how U.S institutions are deploying Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), advanced robotics, and additive manufacturing to transform production processes. The conversations highlighted how such approaches can complement the Kingdom’s national programs and accelerate the modernization of its industrial base.
The United States remains a global leader in advanced manufacturing, home to some of the world’s most innovative companies and research institutions. American expertise in areas such as additive manufacturing, quantum research, industrial software, and automation provides valuable opportunities for collaboration.
Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation is guided by the National Industrial Strategy (NIS), launched to position the Kingdom as a global hub for advanced manufacturing. In alignment with the strategy, the country is pursuing three core objectives:
Strengthening national resilience by localizing critical goods and services,
Building a competitive regional manufacturing base,
Achieving global leadership in selected industrial segments.
Image Via: SPA | Cropped by GBN
For Saudi Arabia, engaging with U.S institutions like the SAS Institute, CAMAL, and the Energy X Lab allows the Kingdom to benchmark global best practices, accelerate technology transfer, and foster academic and industrial partnerships that directly support the National Industrial Strategy.
To achieve these goals, the ministry established a series of flagship initiatives, including the Advanced Manufacturing and Production Center (AMPC), the Future Factories Program, and the Industrial Lighthouse Program.
These initiatives, coupled with 4IR technologies, also align with the Saudi’s environmental commitments, enabling factories to optimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and advance sustainable production practices
The minister’s visits to North Carolina’s advanced research and manufacturing institutions aim to expand cooperation in technology transfer and attract high-quality industrial investments. These efforts are intended to enhance the Kingdom’s industrial capabilities and build a competitive, sustainable industrial economy.
