Program

Innovation in composites is evolving rapidly, driven by sustainability, advanced materials, automation, and circularity. Today, the key challenge is no longer innovation itself, but how to industrialize and deploy these technologies at scale.

This session will bring together key players from the Saudi innovation ecosystem, industry leaders, and international success stories to discuss how composite innovation can move from research and startups to real industrial applications, and the role Saudi Arabia can play in scaling advanced materials innovation in the region and beyond.

More speakers to be announced soon.

As Saudi Arabia advances some of the world's most ambitious construction and urban development programmes, advanced composite materials are becoming critical enablers of durability, efficiency and design flexibility.

Exploring how lightweight and corrosion resistant materials are supporting next generation buildings, mobility systems, utilities and mega projects. Senior representatives from leading development entities will outline their material priorities, performance expectations, localisation ambitions as well as cost efficiency throughout the lifecycle.

The discussion will also address lifecycle performance, sustainability targets and how the construction supply chain must evolve to meet national infrastructure goals.

Saudi Arabia's localization (In-Kingdom value) and local content policies—driven by Vision 2030—are having a structural, value-chain-wide impact on the composites materials business. The effects go well beyond compliance; they reshape market access, supply chains, partnerships, and competitive positioning.

Local content requirements are embedded in government procurement and major industrial contracts (Aramco, PIF entities, giga-projects). Companies must demonstrate local manufacturing, workforce, and supplier contribution to win projects. This session will outline key requirements as well as the strong advantages that will be offered to early movers.

Non-metallic materials are ushering in a transformative era in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, driven by the synergy between the Kingdom’s strengths in the energy and petrochemical industries and the growing demand for corrosion-free solutions capable of performing in the most demanding energy environments. These advanced materials are creating significant new opportunities across the energy sector, several of which will be highlighted during this session organized by ENERCOMP, a joint academia–industry technology consortium hosted by KAUST and co-sponsored by Aramco.

More information on Enercomp: https://www.enercomp.org/

The second ENERCOMP session will focus on the ecosystem and operational challenges associated with modern non-metallic structures. Drawing on diverse perspectives from ENERCOMP leadership and industry leaders across major companies, the session will explore practical applications of these advanced materials and highlight the opportunities for developing a new technological ecosystem to support their broader adoption and deployment.

This session is organized by ENERCOMP, a joint academia–industry technology consortium hosted by KAUST and co-sponsored by Aramco.

More information on Enercomp: https://www.enercomp.org/

The energy sector is undergoing significant change as countries across the GCC invest in renewable energy, hydrogen, oil & gas infrastructure, and domestic manufacturing capability. At the same time, there is a growing focus on localisation, supply chain resilience and the technologies needed to support long-term energy security.

This session will explore the role of advanced materials in enabling this transformation. Bringing together energy companies, government stakeholders, manufacturers and technology providers, the discussion will examine how material innovation, industrial development and strategic partnerships are supporting the delivery of next-generation energy infrastructure across wind, solar, hydrogen and oil & gas. The session will also consider the opportunities and challenges associated with building regional capability and supporting the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.