KSC courts Norway to build new growth corridor

MIRI: Kenyalang Smart City is looking beyond traditional investment markets with its master developer seeking to bring Norway into an emerging economic corridor linking Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam and the wider BIMP-EAGA region.

The push emerged from a high-level meeting between Imasa Dinasti Sdn Bhd Chairman and Founder Ar. Teo Ah Khing and Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, Marianne Fosland, at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Rather than a routine diplomatic courtesy call, the meeting formed part of KSC’s strategy to build a more diversified international investment base for its 548-acre development in Senadin, Miri, with Norway identified as a potential strategic partner in technology, sustainability and regional connectivity.

The approach builds on KSC’s growing cross-border links with Brunei.

In July, Imasa Dinasti signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd, establishing a framework to explore an integrated industrial, logistics and investment ecosystem connecting KSC with Muara Port.

The latest engagement with Norway could add a new dimension to that framework, bringing together Sarawak’s smart-city ambitions, Brunei’s logistics capabilities and Norway’s strengths in sustainable innovation, technology and expertise.

The discussions between Teo and Fosland focused on three strategic areas: strengthening Norway-Sarawak-Brunei collaboration; advancing renewable energy and sustainability; and exploring cooperation in smart cities, digitalisation, sustainable infrastructure and regional connectivity.

The emphasis on sustainability is particularly relevant as KSC positions itself as a future-ready urban ecosystem designed to support Sarawak’s longer-term economic transformation.

For Imasa Dinasti, the objective is not simply to attract another foreign investor, but to assemble international capabilities around KSC’s development model and create a platform where capital, technology, knowledge and regional connectivity can converge.

The 548-acre KSC masterplan in northern Miri is planned for phased development over 15 to 20 years, with an estimated gross development value of RM10.5 billion. Located next to Curtin University Malaysia, the project is designed to integrate residential, commercial and business districts with education and research institutions, healthcare and wellness facilities, green spaces and smart mobility systems.

The broader ambition is to position Miri not merely as a regional city, but as a platform for cross-border economic activity and international partnerships.

As Sarawak advances its Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 and BIMP-EAGA continues to pursue deeper regional economic integration, KSC is seeking to position its development as a physical and economic meeting point between these agendas.

Norway’s potential involvement, therefore, signals a shift in KSC’s strategy: from developing a smart city to building an internationally connected growth platform for northern Sarawak.

The meeting was attended by Norwegian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Knut Øyvind Granli and intern Andreas Franquillo Hotvedt, as well as Imasa Dinasti Corporate Development Manager Ir. Allex Ng Tian Yi.