RIYADH — Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, revealed that since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the number of industrial establishments in Saudi Arabia has risen from 7,000 to more than 15,000 across various economic sectors.
“This growth includes sectors that were not previously licensed before the launch of the Vision, such as military industries, with the number of licensed companies in these sectors now exceeding 347,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of the second edition of the Saudi Industry Forum 2026 at Jeddah Superdome on Monday. The three-day forum is organized by the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, represented by the National Committee of Industry, in cooperation with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.
Kamel highlighted the growth of local and foreign investments in the industry sector, noting that the sector’s contribution to GDP has risen to 16 percent. “The Kingdom has emerged as a leader in several industries, including petrochemicals, machinery and equipment, military industries, food and pharmaceuticals, textiles, and building materials,” he said.
Kamel emphasized that Saudi products have become strong competitors in global markets. “We, in the federation, have witnessed the desire of importers from friendly countries to learn about Saudi products, which was confirmed by the data on the growth of non-oil exports, which has made us leaders locally and internationally. This leadership came with the support of the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and with the economic resources and competitive advantages that our country possesses. The most important of these leverages are the availability of basic materials, the development of the industrial system through legislation, and the government enablers that have empowered the private sector to enhance its competitive capabilities in the sector, in addition to the existence of advanced infrastructure, and the Kingdom’s proximity to global markets. All of these are due to a leadership that has set a high ceiling for ambition, and a private sector that has proven its ability to invest, grow and compete,” he said.
Regarding the methodology of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, Kamel stated that the federation is striving to establish strategic partnerships with relevant government entities in the industrial sector to achieve the Kingdom’s objectives at both the local and international levels. “The future requires the private sector to become more capable of attracting and localizing high-quality industries in the Kingdom, fostering innovation and development across various sectors, and leveraging artificial intelligence, Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, and other enabling factors and changes within the sector. These efforts will help position the Kingdom as a leading industrial power on the global economic map,” he said while emphasizing that the Federation of Chambers remains committed to supporting investors in the Kingdom’s industrial sector to achieve Saudi Arabia’s goals.
Source: Saudi Gazette