Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah
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Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) signed a contract with Nestlé to allocate a 117,000-square-meter industrial plot in the Jeddah Third Industrial City.

The contract aims to establish the first food factory in the Kingdom, scheduled to open in 2025, with an initial investment of SAR270 million to boost local production, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

The signing ceremony was held under the patronage and in the presence of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Chairman of MODON Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, MODON CEO Eng. Majed Al-Argoubi and Nestlé Saudi Arabia CEO Robert Helou.

In its initial phase, the project will focus on producing baby food and launching an automated production line equipped with the latest packaging technologies operated by qualified national food industry personnel.

The project is expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during its first phase, with an initial annual production capacity of 15,000 tons.

In line with the National Industrial Strategy, MODON seeks to boost the food industries sector through the food cluster initiative in Jeddah's second and third industrial cities. The food cluster aims to enhance supply chains and promote exports by providing an integrated and supportive environment, which positively impacts the growth and development of the food industry sector in the region.



China to Focus on Stabilizing Housing Market in 2025, Housing Regulator Says

 A cleaner carrying a broom and a trash bin walks along a street in Beijing on December 24, 2024. (AFP)
A cleaner carrying a broom and a trash bin walks along a street in Beijing on December 24, 2024. (AFP)
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China to Focus on Stabilizing Housing Market in 2025, Housing Regulator Says

 A cleaner carrying a broom and a trash bin walks along a street in Beijing on December 24, 2024. (AFP)
A cleaner carrying a broom and a trash bin walks along a street in Beijing on December 24, 2024. (AFP)

Efforts will continue in 2025 to stabilize and prevent further declines in China's real estate market, China Construction News reported, citing a work conference held by the housing regulator on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China will vigorously promote the reform of the commercial housing sales system, and expand the scope of urban village renovation beyond the addition of 1 million units, the report said.

China will strictly control the supply of commercial housing, while increasing the supply of affordable housing to help solve the living problems of a large number of new citizens, young people and migrant workers, it said.

Policymakers have stepped up efforts to revive the real estate by introducing new measures to encourage home demand after a government-led campaign to rein in highly leveraged developers triggered a crisis in 2021.

Since September, measures aimed at encouraging homebuying have included cutting mortgage rates and minimum down-payments, as well as tax incentives to lower the cost of housing transactions.

The real estate market has shown some momentum of stabilizing, with home transactions in October and November seeing year-on-year and month-on-month growth for two consecutive months, said the conference.

China's home prices fell at the slowest pace in 17 months in November, supported by government efforts to revive the sector, official data showed.

An official of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission in December called for policy measures with direct impact on stabilizing the real estate market to be adopted as soon as possible, with local governments getting greater autonomy to buy housing stock.