Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Haqeel, met with NAVER leaders in Seoul, Korea, as part of his Asian tour that includes China and South Korea.
During the meeting, they discussed plans to develop the second phase of the digital twin project “Baladi”, and reviewed mechanisms to expand the application of smart technologies in the management of Saudi cities, which contributes to improving the quality of municipal and housing services.

Building digital cities and quality housing projects

His Excellency also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the National Housing Company (NHC) and GS REDC, to develop a distinctive residential project within Al Forsan destination east of Riyadh, one of the largest urban destinations belonging to NHC, in support of efforts to increase the housing supply, achieve balance in the real estate market and enhance the efficiency of project implementation.

National Housing Company (NHC) and GS REDC.

Saudi-Korean cooperation

These steps come as a continuation of the path of cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea, which began with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the field of housing in 2016, followed by an executive program in 2021, then a program for cooperation in smart cities in 2023, and the partnership later expanded by signing the framework agreement with NAVER to operate the digital twin of the Kingdom's cities, signing the operating contract in 2024, leading to the launch of the joint venture company "Naver Innovation" in 2025, with the aim of promoting technology transfer and building a sustainable knowledge economy.

Naver Innovation.

These partnerships are an important pillar to support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, especially in enhancing the global competitiveness of Saudi cities and achieving the goals of the housing program to raise the percentage of residential ownership to 70% by 2030.