RIYADH: The Saudi Press Agency said on Friday that the housing minister of Saudi Arabia has returned from a trip to Beijing, where he had meetings with representatives of the Chinese construction and real estate industries to "solidify the partnership between the two nations in construction and real estate development."

China's Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ni Hong, and the president of the China International Contractors Association, Fang Qiuchen, met with Majed Al-Hogail.

According to SPA, they also talked about investing in building technology, sharing knowledge in city planning and sustainable urban development, and creating collaborative housing policies and initiatives.

During his tour, Al-Hogail also looked into the prospect of luring Chinese businesses that offer building, construction, maintenance, and cleaning services to the Saudi Arabian market.

Al-Hogail negotiated memoranda of understanding and deals with significant Chinese construction businesses when he was there.

Saudi Vision 2030 aims to increase home ownership to 70% in Saudi Arabia by the end of the decade through improving housing affordability, and one way to achieve this goal is through the Kingdom's relationship with China to grow its housing sector.