Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) has approved the development of a SAR 1.4 billion bio-protein production facility in Jubail Industrial City — a move that places the Kingdom firmly on the map of global biotechnology and alternative protein production. The project, developed in partnership with Denmark-based Unibio PLC, is expected to produce 50,000 tons of single cell-protein annually, derived from dry natural gas.
A Strategic Industrial Partnership
The project will be structured with SIIG holding an 80% ownership stake and Unibio PLC — in which SIIG holds a 24% interest — retaining the remaining 20%. The two partners have already secured a dry gas feedstock allocation from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, clearing a key prerequisite for production. SIIG confirmed that no related parties are involved in the transaction, and that contractors and suppliers will be sourced from both within the Kingdom and internationally.
Financing for the SAR 1.4 billion investment will come from a combination of SIIG’s own internal resources and credit lines from commercial and government financial institutions. The company disclosed the project through an official statement to Tadawul, the Saudi Exchange, in compliance with market disclosure requirements.
Construction Timeline and Production Launch
On-site construction work at Jubail Industrial City is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, with the facility expected to reach completion by the second half of 2027. Pilot production will commence following the construction phase, with trial operations running for approximately six months before full commercial output begins. SIIG indicated that the project’s financial contribution to the company’s revenues and profits is expected to materialise from 2028 onward.
Jubail Industrial City, managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, is one of the largest planned industrial cities in the world and serves as the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s heavy and petrochemical industries. Locating this project there gives SIIG direct access to industrial-grade gas infrastructure and logistics networks that are essential for large-scale chemical and biological production.
Protein Diversification as a Vision 2030 Imperative
The investment reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader industrial ambitions under Vision 2030, which calls for diversifying revenue streams away from oil dependence and building value-added industries across sectors including food security, biotechnology, and advanced materials. Single cell-protein, produced by fermenting natural gas using microbial organisms, is increasingly viewed as a sustainable and scalable alternative to conventional protein sources in animal feed and food applications.
Unibio’s proprietary U-Loop fermentation technology, which underpins this project, has attracted international attention for its ability to convert methane gas into high-quality protein at commercial scale. By partnering with Unibio through a significant minority stake — acquired before this project — SIIG has positioned itself at the intersection of energy-sector strength and the fast-growing global bioprotein market, making this SAR 1.4 billion commitment a natural extension of that strategy.
