Industry Ministry Reviews Key Features of Saudi Industrial Transformation
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources took part in panel discussions during the conference held alongside Riyadh International Industry Week 2026, where it reviewed the key features of Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation and its future objectives to strengthen the competitiveness of national industry, increase its efficiency, enable innovation, and localize modern manufacturing technologies.
The ministry’s Assistant Deputy Minister for Industrial Competitiveness and Advanced Manufacturing, Dr. Ahmed Al-Zawawi, said in a speech that the future of industry no longer depends solely on the availability of resources, but is built on vision, innovation, and effective partnerships. He noted that the industrial sector has become a key driver of economic growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development.
Al-Zawawi said the industrial sector has undergone rapid structural transformations in recent years in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, noting that current indicators not only reflect quantitative growth but also represent a genuine expansion in the base of national industry and its contribution to the national economy.
He said 2025 saw the issuance of 1,660 new industrial licenses, with investments exceeding 76 billion riyals, in addition to more than 1,200 factories entering production. He added that the next phase requires an industrial sector that is more productive, efficient, and responsive to change, and capable of turning innovation into tangible economic value. He noted that industrial transformation includes redesigning industrial processes, connecting systems, data, and equipment, and developing human skills and capabilities.
On localization and value chains, Al-Zawawi said industrial sustainability is not achieved by increasing production alone but by building integrated national capabilities spanning research and development, design, and engineering through to manufacturing, services, and maintenance. He also addressed the importance of accelerating the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and advanced manufacturing technologies, leveraging applications of artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics to raise efficiency and improve performance, and strengthening international partnerships, including cooperation with the World Economic Forum through the Global Lighthouse Network.
Al-Zawawi concluded by affirming that the Kingdom has a historic opportunity to build a Saudi industrial model that integrates resources, infrastructure, investment capacity, national talent, and technological ambition, strengthening the Kingdom’s position as an active and influential partner in shaping the future of global industry.
