RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday launched the National Industrial Strategy, which aims to drive growth in the sector and increase the number of factories to about 36,000 by 2035, the Kingdom’s state news agency reported.
The strategy also aims to reach an industrial economy that attracts investment and contributes to achieving economic diversification, developing domestic product and non-oil exports, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
“We have all the capabilities to reach a competitive and sustainable industrial economy, including ambitious young talents, a distinguished geographical location, rich natural resources, and leading national industrial companies,” SPA quoted the crown prince as saying.
“Through the national industry strategy and in partnership with the private sector, the Kingdom will become a leading industrial power that contributes to securing global supply chains, and exporting high-tech products to the world,” he added.
The strategy focuses on 12 sub-sectors to diversify the industrial economy in the Kingdom, while identifying more than 800 investment opportunities to constitute a new chapter of sustainable growth for the sector.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to triple manufacturing GDP by 2030, increase the industrial exports value to SR557 billion riyals ($148.34 billion), increase the total additional investments in the sector to SR1.3 trillion, increase exports of advanced technology products by about six times, and create tens of thousands of high quality jobs.
Through the strategy, the Kingdom is seeking to empower the private sector, increase the flexibility and competitiveness of the industrial sector, lead the regional industrial integration of value chains, benefit from the strength of the Saudi economy, and achieve global leadership in a group of selected commodities, by investing in promising new technologies.
The Kingdom has developed a governance model for the industrial sector by forming the Supreme Committee for Industry, headed by the crown prince, who will supervise the development of the sector. The country has also formed the Industrial Council with the private sector, to ensure the participation of industrial investors in decision-making and policy development.
The Kingdom’s industrial sector is based on solid industrial foundations and successes built over 50 years, as it contributed to adding more than SR340 billion to GDP, and provided many jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities in various industrial fields.
The leading national industrial companies have also contributed to placing the Saudi industry in among the most advanced industries regionally and globally, as the Kingdom is currently the fourth largest manufacturer of petrochemical products in the world, while its industrial outputs contribute to supplying global supply and manufacturing chains, which are involved in the production of many of industries.
Saudi crown prince launches national industry strategy
https://arab.news/ynprz
Saudi crown prince launches national industry strategy
- Number of factories to increase to about 36,000 by 2035
- Prince Mohammed will oversee the development of the industrial sector as chair of the supreme industrial committee
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows
WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.
The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.
It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.
This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.
He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.
Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.
The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.
The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.
