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Saudi Arabia: Factory Investments Exceed $382 Billion, Up 6.5%

One of the facilities of the industrial city in Asir, southern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the facilities of the industrial city in Asir, southern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia: Factory Investments Exceed $382 Billion, Up 6.5%

One of the facilities of the industrial city in Asir, southern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the facilities of the industrial city in Asir, southern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Factory investments in Saudi Arabia touched 1.433 trillion riyals ($382.1 billion) during the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 6.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to the statistical bulletin of industrial licenses issued by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, on Wednesday, the total number of industrial facilities hit 10,819 by the end of March — up from 10,518 factories at the end of 2022 — with the estimated capital of these factories amounting to over SAR 1.43 trillion ($381 billion).

Saudi factories were able to employ more than 725,000 workers during the first quarter of this year, compared to around 648,000 workers in the same period of 2022, with a growth rate of 11.8 percent.

The Eastern region led the size of investments in the factories with SAR 603 million ($161 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 12.8 percent over the same period last year.

Riyadh came in the second place, with an investment volume that exceeded SAR 312.5 billion ($84.1 billion), up 2.7 percent from the first quarter of last year.

As for the number of industrial facilities according to administrative regions, Riyadh ranked first with more than 4,100 factories, followed by the eastern region with 2,400, then Makkah Al-Mukarramah with more than 2,000 factories.

According to the bulletin, national factories topped by type of investment with more than 83.5 percent, followed by foreign companies with 8.5 percent, then jointly invested factories with 8 percent.

Small establishments represented the largest percentage of industrial facilities until the end of the reported period, as they amounted to 5,600 factories, followed by medium factories with 4,300, then large enterprises, which accounted for 824 of the total number of factories.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced it has begun evaluating the second tranche of facilities as part of its “Future Factories Program” to modernize the sector.

The initiative seeks to establish a strong technological ecosystem and transform the manufacturing sector based on modern practices and principles.

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Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
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Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo

The US dollar charged ahead on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields, putting the yen, sterling and euro under pressure near multi-month lows amid the shifting threat of tariffs.

The focus for markets in 2025 has been on US President-elect Donald Trump's agenda as he steps back into the White House on Jan. 20, with analysts expecting his policies to both bolster growth and add to price pressures, according to Reuters.

CNN on Wednesday reported that Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries. On Monday, the Washington Post said Trump was looking at more nuanced tariffs, which he later denied.

Concerns that policies introduced by the Trump administration could reignite inflation has led bond yields higher, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note hitting 4.73% on Wednesday, its highest since April 25. It was at 4.6709% on Thursday.

"Trump's shifting narrative on tariffs has undoubtedly had an effect on USD. It seems this capriciousness is something markets will have to adapt to over the coming four years," said Kieran Williams, head of Asia FX at InTouch Capital Markets.

The bond market selloff has left the dollar standing tall and casting a shadow on the currency market.

Among the most affected was the pound, which was headed for its biggest three-day drop in nearly two years.

Sterling slid to $1.2239 on Thursday, its weakest since November 2023, even as British government bond yields hit multi-year highs.

Ordinarily, higher gilt yields would support the pound, but not in this case.

The sell-off in UK government bond markets resumed on Thursday, with 10-year and 30-year gilt yields jumping again in early trading, as confidence in Britain's fiscal outlook deteriorates.

"Such a simultaneous sell-off in currency and bonds is rather unusual for a G10 country," said Michael Pfister, FX analyst at Commerzbank.

"It seems to be the culmination of a development that began several months ago. The new Labour government's approval ratings are at record lows just a few months after the election, and business and consumer sentiment is severely depressed."

Sterling was last down about 0.69% at $1.2282.

The euro also eased, albeit less than the pound, to $1.0302, lurking close to the two-year low it hit last week as investors remain worried the single currency may fall to the key $1 mark this year due to tariff uncertainties.

The yen hovered near the key 160 per dollar mark that led to Tokyo intervening in the market last July, after it touched a near six-month low of 158.55 on Wednesday.

Though it strengthened a bit on the day and was last at 158.15 per dollar. That all left the dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, up 0.15% and at 109.18, just shy of the two-year high it touched last week.

Also in the mix were the Federal Reserve minutes of its December meeting, released on Wednesday, which showed the central bank flagged new inflation concerns and officials saw a rising risk the incoming administration's plans may slow economic growth and raise unemployment.

With US markets closed on Thursday, the spotlight will be on Friday's payrolls report as investors parse through data to gauge when the Fed will next cut rates.