Arab News , Tuesday, Dec 15, 2020 | Rabi Al Thani 30, 1442
Surge in Saudi medical supplies factories during pandemic
RIYADH: A total of 829 new industrial licenses were issued by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources between January and November this year, a rise of 8.67 percent and a sign of the resilience of the industrial sector in the face of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ministry said that the total number of factories had risen to 9,563, with a total value of SR1.086 trillion. Riyadh dominated among the Kingdom’s 13 regions, with the Saudi capital accounting for 40.4 percent of factories, followed by the Eastern Province (21.9 percent) and the Makkah Region (18.9 percent).
The monthly figures showed that as the impact of the pandemic took hold, the number of new licenses dropped from 99 in January to just 11 in April and four in May. However, once travel restrictions began to be lifted, the sector recovered, with new issuances rising to 118 in June and 124 in October.
One industry source told Arab News that the sector had seen a positive uptick in business as a result of the pandemic and the executive director of a face mask manufacturing factory said the sector was promising, competitive and well resourced.