Riyadh: The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 102 new industrial licenses during July 2023, distributed among five industrial activities, led by manufacturing food products with 21 licenses, followed by manufacturing non-metallic mineral products with 16 licenses, manufacturing shaped metals excluding machinery and equipment with 14, manufacturing rubber and plastic products with nine, and other manufacturing industries with eight.

According to a report issued by the ministry's National Center for Industrial and Mining Information, the total number of industrial licenses issued by the ministry from the beginning of this year until the end of July amounted to 659, while the number of existing and under establishment factories in the Kingdom during the same period reached 11,032, with investments amounting to SAR1.479 trillion.

Data from the ministry shows that investments in activities for which new licenses were issued in July 2023 amounted to SAR1.2 billion, with small businesses acquiring 80.39% of new industrial licenses, and medium-sized enterprises 18.63%.

Meanwhile, national factories hold 75.49% of all licenses issued based on the type of investment, followed by foreign establishments, which hold 14.71% of licenses, and joint investment establishments with 9.80%.

The report shows that 64 factories started production during July, with an investment volume of SAR1.6 billion, led by 16 non-metallic minerals factories, followed by 15 food factories, eight shaped metal factories, and four factories each for rubber and plastics manufacturing activity and base metals. National factories accounted for 85.94% of the total factories that started production in July, followed by joint factories at 7.81% and foreign-owned factories at 6.25%.

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources releases vital information on industrial and mining activities regularly through the National Center for Industrial and Mining Information. This monthly report shows the evolving landscape of the industry, highlighting new investments and job opportunities in the Kingdom.