The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that the number of industrial licenses issued last month increased by 58% compared to December 2020, as it reached 115 new industrial licenses, distributed between 28 medium establishments and 87 small establishments, which varied between a number of industrial activities. Food has the largest share of 27 new factories, while 17 factories are licensed to manufacture rubber and plastics products, and the same for making metals.

In its indicators report for the month of January issued by the National Center for Industrial Information, the ministry indicated that 66 factories began production operations in the same month, an increase of 120% compared to the previous month, while the number of existing factories reached 9,783 factories at the end of January, while the volume of investment for existing factories was recorded for the same. The period, up by 0.3%, reaching 1,114 trillion riyals.

She pointed out that, the number of licensed workers for factories that started production increased by 97% compared to December of the previous year, as the number of workers reached 3,950 licensed workers, pointing out that the employment entering the industrial sector in January recorded an increase of 161% compared to December of 2020 The volume of licensed investment for factories that started production for the same month increased by 622% compared to the previous month.

The monthly report showed the largest industrial activities in the sector, as it includes 1102 factories for food products, 1,276 factories for rubber products, as well as 1,168 factories for formed metal products excluding machinery and equipment, and the number of factories for other non-metallic minerals products reached 1953, and the number of factories for paper and its products reached 368 factories, in addition to 324 factories for electrical equipment, as well as 324 factories for unclassified machines, in addition to metal factories amounting to 480 factories, while the number of chemical factories reached 960 factories, 363 factories specialized in the manufacture of furniture.