Lebanon receives preliminary approval to increase World Bank loan to $400m

Lebanon has received preliminary approval to increase the value of a World Bank reconstruction loan to $400 million from $250 million. Shutterstock
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Updated 24 April 2025
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Lebanon receives preliminary approval to increase World Bank loan to $400m

CAIRO: Lebanon has received preliminary approval to increase the value of a World Bank reconstruction loan to $400 million from $250 million, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Lebanese prime minister said in March that the World Bank had presented a $1 billion program for the reconstruction of Lebanon, including $250 million as a loan.


Saudi Arabia boosts global 3D printing presence amid 20% annual growth

Updated 07 December 2025
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Saudi Arabia boosts global 3D printing presence amid 20% annual growth

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia aims to become the world’s fifth-largest 3D printing market by 2030, placing it at the center of global competition, Faisal Adnan, founder and CEO of Namthajah, told Al-Eqtisadiah.

Founded in 2015, Namthajah is a Saudi company specializing in 3D printing, with investments in the sector totaling around SR30 million ($8 million).

Adnan said the industry is experiencing rapid global growth, with the market valued at roughly $20 billion and an annual growth rate of 20 percent, adding that the sector is expected to expand to $100 billion over the next five years.

The CEO emphasized that this trend represents a strategic opportunity to expand Saudi industrial leadership and enhance the global competitiveness of its products, noting that the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources is working to build advanced industries with added value based on knowledge and intellectual property.

Adnan added that Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies have become central to global industrial transformation, as highlighted at the current industrial exhibition focused on these advancements.

Modular production lines

Namthajah announced it has received a grant from the Innovative Factories Promotion Initiative to develop a modular production line for manufacturing 3D-printed structures, making it one of the first specialized production lines of this scale globally.

The company aims to expand to 200 advanced manufacturing centers worldwide over the coming years, up from 11 centers currently in Saudi Arabia, with its first international expansion to be announced before year-end.

Strategic partnerships 

Namthajah signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Industry to serve as an innovation partner with the Advanced Manufacturing Center, providing consulting services and support programs to promote 3D printing adoption across the local industrial sector.

The company is also preparing to announce a new agreement with China’s Enigma, one of the world’s largest 3D printing technology firms, to establish a center of excellence for developing metal part manufacturing applications for the energy sector.

This collaboration is expected to transfer advanced knowledge and develop high-quality industrial solutions, strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for advanced tech industries.

Promising sector

These rapid initiatives highlight Saudi Arabia’s ambition to build a sophisticated 3D printing sector capable of enhancing the national economy and creating new industrial opportunities.

With international strategic partnerships and the development of innovative production lines, the Kingdom is paving the way for a new era of leadership in advanced manufacturing technologies regionally and globally.