RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector recorded an annual 18 percent increase in business registrations by the end of the third quarter of 2026, reaching 255,188 as the Kingdom expanded its industrial and mining base.  The number increased from 215,697 during the same period of 2025, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Registrations in mining and quarrying also grew, rising 13 percent to 12,831 from 11,263, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The figures measure active commercial registrations in the specified business activities, but do not represent the number of factories that began production during the period or the volume of industrial output.   The expansion comes as Saudi Arabia works toward a target of 36,000 factories by 2035, with the industrial sector’s contribution to gross domestic product targeted at SR1.4 trillion ($372.2 billion), according to targets outlined by the deputy minister of industry and mineral resources for industrial affairs at the Budget Forum 2026.  The ministry attributed the increases to efforts to support industry and improve the use of natural resources, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.  It said registration growth reflected “expanding commercial and investment opportunities, diversification of the economic base, and stimulation of small and medium-sized enterprises’ growth.”   Solar and automotive growth   Registrations for the manufacture of solar panels and their components rose 33 percent to 1,700 at the end of September, compared with 1,270 during the corresponding period of 2025.  Registrations for the manufacture and assembly of automobile engines and their components recorded faster growth, increasing 45 percent to 1,207, from 832 a year earlier.  The expansion reflects broader growth in the Kingdom’s business sector. Saudi Arabia issued more than 71,000 new commercial registrations in the second quarter of 2026, taking the total number of existing registrations across the country to more than 1.91 million, according to a separate Ministry of Commerce bulletin published in July.  The growth comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to develop domestic supply chains and expand manufacturing capabilities in sectors linked to the energy transition and automotive industry.  The broader business environment has also improved in international competitiveness rankings. Saudi Arabia ranked third globally for legislative support for company formation, fourth for equality of economic opportunities and seventh for the efficiency of large companies under international standards in the World Competitiveness Yearbook, according to the ministry’s second-quarter bulletin.