Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 1,660 new industrial licences in 2025, with aggregate investments exceeding SAR 76 billion, reflecting the Kingdom’s accelerating industrial ambitions under Vision 2030. The figures, released by the ministry, confirm that Saudi Arabia continues to attract significant capital into its manufacturing and mining sectors.
Projections show these licences will support the creation of approximately 34,800 new jobs across the country, a meaningful contribution to the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to raise Saudisation rates and build a productive, diversified workforce for the decades ahead.
A Year of Industrial Momentum
Beyond the new licences, 2025 saw 1,201 factories move from approved status into active production, with investments exceeding SAR 31 billion backing this cohort of newly operational facilities. The workforce absorbed by these facilities is estimated at around 45,500 employees — a figure that illustrates how quickly the Kingdom’s industrial base is translating policy commitments into real economic activity.
The manufacturing sector’s growth runs parallel to a significant expansion in the mining space. The ministry issued 736 new mining licences during the same period, spanning exploration, quarrying, and exploitation activities. The total inventory of valid mining licences in the Kingdom reached approximately 2,925 by year’s end, reflecting a sector increasingly attractive to both domestic and international investors.
Mining as an Economic Diversification Engine
The breakdown of mining licences provides insight into where Saudi Arabia sees its resource future. The bulk of the valid licences — 1,553 — cover building materials quarrying, aligned with the enormous infrastructure and real estate development pipeline fuelled by Vision 2030 giga-projects. A further 1,018 exploration licences reflect the Kingdom’s intent to map and unlock its vast untapped mineral potential, which independent studies estimate could be worth trillions of riyals in recoverable resources.
Saudi Arabia has identified mining as one of the three pillars of its industrial economy alongside energy and manufacturing. The Ministry of Industry has developed dedicated digital platforms and streamlined licensing processes to accelerate private sector participation, removing friction for investors who would otherwise face lengthy bureaucratic timelines.
Industrial Policy Meets Investment Reality
The scale of capital committed to these industrial licences aligns with broader macroeconomic indicators. Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index rose 10.4% year-on-year in January 2026, reinforcing that the licensing figures are translating into tangible output rather than remaining on paper.
For international investors and industrial operators, the consistent policy signals from the Saudi government — a welcoming licensing environment, large domestic demand, access to competitively priced energy, and world-class logistics infrastructure — continue to position the Kingdom as one of the region’s most compelling industrial destinations. The 2025 results demonstrate that this proposition is resonating, and the momentum heading into 2026 shows no sign of slowing.
