Saudi Made: promoting local manufacturing in the Kingdom 
The improvement of local production and distribution in the Kingdom has increased in the past few years, with a particular focus on the development of the manufacturing sector.
The emphasis on the evolution of this field has proved to be an essential factor that recently contributed to a 4.1 percent increase in the country’s industrial production index in March, compared to the same month last year, according to the General Authority for Statistics.
Natural resources such as oil and gas have been in demand for the longest time, but Saudi Arabia has made plans to steadily expand beyond these resources, which will help build a more dynamic economy.
“Today, if you look at Vision 2030, it’s all about diversifying our economy,” Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef said in an interview with WION News.
“This strategy is a combination of targets that aim to increase the GDP (gross domestic product), exports, and investment, (while) looking at the quality of the mix of products that we intend to produce in Saudi Arabia.”
The Kingdom’s geographical location has allowed broad access to trading routes, providing an advantage in international trade and facilitating logistics cooperation between continents.
Although Saudi Arabia is known as a prominent importer, the minister indicated plans for the country’s transition to become “a hub for global manufacturing,” as he shared at the World Economic Forum held earlier this year.
In the previous two years, more than 900 companies sought to join the Made in Saudi program. We will continue to work on developing similar initiatives in the future.
Ambitions go beyond traditional ways as technology enters the field, opening up new perspectives on the future of the industrial sector. To achieve that vision, Alkhorayef also highlighted the potential benefits of artificial intelligence and 3D printing.
A massive transition like this will, of course, require an enormous plan to attract investment. That is why the Saudi Export Development Authority and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program launched the Saudi Made project to encourage investment in local production, enabling us to compete in the global market.
As sub-projects of this initiative, local exhibitions, knowledge exchange programs, and international offices have been organized and established to share our progress and expand globally.
This program’s collaborative community provides different services. For example, strategic partners such as the Ministry of Culture hold various events to raise awareness of the efforts being made.
The Saudi Export Development Authority is known for its vision of expanding more to non-oil exports, in alignment with Saudi’s 2030 strategy of a thriving economy.
The program looks to improve Saudi Arabia’s GPI as part of the goals expected to be reached by implementing set plans.
In the previous two years, more than 900 companies sought to join the Made in Saudi program.
Following the successful outcome of the project, we will continue to work on developing similar initiatives in the future.
Much effort has been put into making progress all the more exciting and compelling. This will allow the Kingdom to flourish and reach the Vision 2030 goal of creating a thriving economy like never before.
• Ritaj Hussain Al-Hazmi is a young columnist and author, and Guinness world record holder. She believes in showcasing the new generation’s potential.
