Saudi Arabia in the Race for Progress: Strategic Integration with Industry Giants

A Report by the Strategic Media Department at Bath News Agency

"We provide oil and money, and the West manufactures everything for us"—this phrase once described Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the global industry. However, today, this relationship has evolved into a complementary partnership. The Kingdom is no longer merely an importer or consumer but has become a key player in the manufacturing process with its own expertise and skilled workforce.

Integration Between Industry and Knowledge: An Indivisible Cycle

Industry cannot thrive without a consumer capable of utilizing it, just as a consumer cannot advance without tools and technologies that facilitate their life.

Science without application = Useless theories.

Industry without an informed consumer = A dead market with no value.

Thus, no party is merely a follower; each is an essential part of a continuous cycle:

The manufacturer needs an intelligent consumer, because inventions and technologies are worthless without proper understanding and usage.

The consumer needs an innovative manufacturer, as a lack of continuous development keeps societies stagnant with no progress.

Is Integration a Necessity or a Coincidence?

💡 Integration is not a luxury; it is a natural law governing life.

Even within a single mind, there is a part that thinks (creativity) and a part that executes (logic and action). Similarly, in nature, there is a life cycle among living organisms that ensures balance and continuity.

How Can We Achieve the Perfect Integration Between Producer and Consumer?

✅ The solution is not for everyone to be a manufacturer or a consumer but for each party to understand their role in the system. ✅ Successful nations invest in their consumers to make them intelligent and creative, not just passive users. ✅ Education and technology must go hand in hand; advanced inventions are pointless without a population capable of comprehending and utilizing them.

🌍 Today, there are highly industrialized nations and others that remain merely consumers, creating a dangerous imbalance. If consumers do not become aware, they will remain mere markets for others without contributing to technological progress.

Saudi Arabia: From Consumer to Partner in the Future of Industry

Vision 2030 was not just an economic plan; it was a revolution in economic and industrial mindset, transitioning Saudi Arabia from being a "consumer market" to a "partner in production and innovation."

🚀 Where is this transformation leading? What will Saudi Arabia look like in the future if this approach continues?

Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Transformation: From Oil to Advanced Manufacturing

✅ In the past: The relationship relied on a traditional equation: "We provide oil and money, and the West manufactures everything."

✅ Today: The relationship has transformed into a complementary partnership:

Manufacturing aircraft parts, automobiles, electronics, and even advanced military industries.

Establishing research and development centers within the Kingdom instead of importing ready-made technologies.

Transferring knowledge and technologies to Saudi engineers and technicians, empowering them as the manufacturers of the future.

🎯 Result: Saudi Arabia is no longer just a consumer but has become a "regional hub for advanced manufacturing," reinforcing its industrial and economic independence.

Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Future Over the Next 10-20 Years

📌 1. Full-scale Manufacturing of Aircraft and Automobiles Within the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia has begun manufacturing cars and aircraft parts, but the future is heading toward full production of civilian and military aircraft.

Global companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Airbus may transfer entire production lines to Saudi Arabia.

📌 2. Saudi Arabia as a Hub for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies

"NEOM" will be a model city based on locally developed technology.

Smart cities in Saudi Arabia, including King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, will transform into innovation-exporting hubs.

📌 3. Military Manufacturing and Self-Sufficiency in Defense

Saudi Arabia plans to manufacture a significant portion of its military needs locally.

The development of drones, smart missiles, and advanced air defense systems will take place within the Kingdom.

📌 4. Saudi Arabia as a Global Logistics and Manufacturing Hub

Massive ports and advanced logistics zones will position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub.

📌 5. Renewable Energy: From an Oil Nation to a Leader in Green Energy

Saudi Arabia is investing in green hydrogen, solar energy, and wind power.

How Can This Transformation Be Sustained in the Long Run?

🔹 1. Preparing Saudi Human Capital for Advanced Industries ✅ Training and empowering a new generation of Saudi industrialists and technicians. ✅ Launching intensive training programs within factories so that students graduate with real-world experience. ✅ Establishing specialized industrial academies in artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy.

🔹 2. Supporting Innovation, Research, and Development ✅ Allocating a higher percentage of GDP to research and development. ✅ Mandating major corporations to invest part of their profits in industrial innovation within Saudi Arabia. ✅ Establishing partnerships between universities and factories to develop fully localized industrial technologies.

🔹 3. Encouraging Local Manufacturing of Strategic Industries ✅ Offering financial incentives to companies that achieve high localization rates. ✅ Supporting Saudi private sector investment in advanced industries. ✅ Creating a sovereign fund dedicated to supporting technology and military industries.

🚀 If these strategies are implemented, Saudi Arabia will become a global industrial powerhouse within 10-20 years, capable of competing in advanced manufacturing, technology, and clean energy, making it a global leader in innovation and development.