RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector recorded an annual 18 percent increase in business registrations by the end of the third quarter of 2026, reaching 255,188 as the Kingdom expanded its industrial and mining base.
The number increased from 215,697 during the same period of 2025, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Registrations in mining and quarrying also grew, rising 13 percent to 12,831 from 11,263, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The figures measure active commercial registrations in the specified business activities, but do not represent the number of factories that began production during the period or the volume of industrial output.
The expansion comes as Saudi Arabia works toward a target of 36,000 factories by 2035, with the industrial sector’s contribution to gross domestic product targeted at SR1.4 trillion ($372.2 billion), according to targets outlined by the deputy minister of industry and mineral resources for industrial affairs at the Budget Forum 2026.
The ministry attributed the increases to efforts to support industry and improve the use of natural resources, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
It said registration growth reflected “expanding commercial and investment opportunities, diversification of the economic base, and stimulation of small and medium-sized enterprises’ growth.”
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