North Carolina – BETH

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef met with the leadership of Honeywell and Albemarle in the United States to discuss cooperation in advanced manufacturing, automation, smart cities, and lithium extraction technologies.

Key Highlights:

Honeywell: Discussed industrial automation solutions, smart city and digital infrastructure development, and presented the “Factories of the Future” program to automate 4,000 factories, boosting efficiency and reducing operating costs.

Saudi investment environment: Strategic location linking three continents, abundant natural resources, competitive energy prices, advanced infrastructure and industrial cities, streamlined government procedures, and investor incentives.

Field visit: The minister toured Honeywell’s exhibition to view its latest industrial and digital technologies.

Albemarle (Lithium): Explored technology transfer and joint opportunities in EV supply chains, with a visit to Kings Mountain Mine to review the conversion of raw material into lithium hydroxide—targeting production sufficient for 1.2 million electric vehicles annually by 2030.

Accompanying delegation: Saleh Al-Sulami (CEO of the National Industrial Development Center) and several senior officials.

BETH Commentary
The two tracks—automation and smart cities on one hand, lithium on the other—unify industry and clean energy in a deeper Saudi–U.S. partnership. The expected outcome: accelerating Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation while anchoring its role in global EV battery supply chains.