THE King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Saudi Aramco have inked a deal to establish a sophisticated centre for conducting nondestructive tests in the oil sector.

KACST president Mohammed Al Suwaiyel and Saudi Aramco chairman and CEO Khalid Al Falih signed the deal in the presence of a number of officials on both sides.

The new centre, called the National Centre for Nondestructive Testing (NCNT), is expected to be operational by 2015. A major advantage of the project is that it will ensure quality and save time and money. It is a testing process using high-tech equipment on utilities without affecting their future use and structure.

Al Suwaiyel says the agreement aimed to develop and create sophisticated high-tech devices for multiple nondestructive power tests, and promote and encourage national acceptance for the nondestructive testing service. This will also help attract and encourage the kingdom’s scientific talent.

The agreement also aims to create a database that will include specialists in this field and represent the kingdom in the Union of Nondestructive Testing Centre established in 1998, in addition to achieving economic self-dependence in the long term.

The Saudi Aramco CEO says the centre, the first of its kind in the region, is designed to be the cornerstone supporting the national industry and infrastructure in the kingdom.