RIYADH — The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) has issued, during August of 2023, 136 new industrial licenses that varied in a number of industrial activities. The licenses were distributed in several activities, topped with the activity of manufacturing food products with 29 licenses, followed by the activity of manufacturing other non-metallic minerals with 21 licenses, then the activity of manufacturing rubber and plastic products with 15 licenses. The issued licenses also included the activity of manufacturing paper and its products with 12 licenses, and the activity of manufacturing formed metal products with 11 licenses. According to the report issued by the Ministry's National Industrial and Mining Information Center, it has revealed that the total industrial licenses issued by the Ministry since the start of 2023 until the end of August has amounted to 795. The number of factories existing in Saudi Arabia has reached to 11,110 factories by the end of the same month, with an investments volume amounted to SR1.489 trillion. The report indicated that the investment volume in the new licenses amounted to SR1.6 billion. The small establishments acquired the most-new industrial licenses in August by 83.09%, followed by the medium establishments by 16.18%, then the micro-enterprises by 0.74%. The national factories have recorded the highest percentage from the total licenses issued according to the investment type by 76.47%, followed by the foreign factories by 16.18%, then the establishments with joint investment by 7.35%. Factories that started production during August 2023 amounted to 87 factories, with an investment volume of SR1.5 billion, the report revealed. The national factories have acquired the total number of factories that started production in August by 79.31%, followed by foreign factories by 12.64%, then the factories with joint investments by 8.05%.
