RIYADH: Saudi exporters saw a more than 27 percent monthly rise in certificates of origin in July, reaching 40,588, according to official figures.
This marked the 15th consecutive month in which the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued over 30,000 certificates to Saudi manufacturers, highlighting the strength of the Kingdom’s export sector.
The last time the figure dropped below 30,000 was in April 2023.
A certificate of origin verifies the national origin of exported products. This service is available to industrial businesses, commercial entities, and individuals such as farmers, fishermen, and artisans.
The procedure aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, which aims to boost the share of non-oil exports in Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product from 16 percent to 50 percent by the end of the decade.
The ministry explained that the certificate includes four models: one for national products intended for Gulf Cooperation Council states, another for national products intended for Arab countries, a preferential unified model for GCC countries when exporting to nations and economic groups with free trade agreements, and a general model in both Arabic and English for countries that do not offer preferential treatment.
The increases in certificate of origin issuance underscore the robust expansion of Saudi Arabia’s export sector, which is driven by the Kingdom’s initiatives to enhance trade across diverse markets.
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, experienced a 4.4 percent increase in February compared to the same period in 2023, according to official data.
The General Authority for Statistics reported that the total value of these exports reached SR 21.86 billion ($5.83 billion), up from SR 20.93 billion in the previous year.
This rise in non-oil shipments was largely driven by an 8.3 percent increase in the exchange of rubber and plastic products, which accounted for 24.1 percent of the total exports.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources also released figures relating to the number of mining licenses issued in June, with 31 handed out.
Some 12 were awarded for exploration, 11 for building material quarry and five for excess mineral resources, as well as three reconnaissance licenses, according to the National Industrial and Mining Information Center report, as per the Saudi News Agency.
The total number of active mining licenses in the sector reached 2,323 by the end of June, according to the ministry’s spokesperson, Jaraah Al-Jaraah.
He added that these include 1,462 building material quarry licenses, 598 exploration licenses, and 198 small-scale mining and exploitation licenses, in addition to 42 reconnaissance licenses and 23 excess mineral resource licenses.
The spokesman emphasized that his ministry aims to protect and enhance the value of the mining sector in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Industry and Logistics Development Program.
The goal is to establish mining as the third pillar of the national industry and exploit the Kingdom’s mineral resources, which are spread across more than 5,300 sites and valued at approximately SR9.3 trillion.
