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MODON Sets Smart Technology Transformation Strategy for Saudi Industrial Environment

MODON establishes a strategy to help transform Saudi Arabia into a promising industrial powerhouse. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
MODON establishes a strategy to help transform Saudi Arabia into a promising industrial powerhouse. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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MODON Sets Smart Technology Transformation Strategy for Saudi Industrial Environment

MODON establishes a strategy to help transform Saudi Arabia into a promising industrial powerhouse. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
MODON establishes a strategy to help transform Saudi Arabia into a promising industrial powerhouse. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Over the last year, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) has been working under a strategy in harmony with the programs listed in the Kingdom’s plan for national transformation, Vision 2030.

Some of the core objectives of the plan are to transform Saudi Arabia into a promising industrial powerhouse, a global logistics platform and achieve sustainable and balanced development in the Kingdom.

Vision 2030 also promotes activating innovative technical transformation in the business environment of the industrial cities in the country.

In its latest report, MODON revealed it had established a strategy that paves the way towards the vision of it becoming an enabling industrial environment powered by smart technology transformation. This will aid in MODON contributing to the growth of the national economy.

MODON is working in collaboration with the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) towards realizing the abovementioned goals.

The authority also contributes to developing non-oil revenues, generating new job opportunities, stimulating the private sector, and providing a safe environment for investors.

Also, it follows a unified framework that enhances coordination and control over performance, projects, and initiatives.

This method helps in achieving strategic goals, reducing risks, and contributing to increasing chances of success.

It does so through the governance of initiatives and projects and facilitating coordination with relevant authorities.

The authority works to ensure the smooth running of initiatives and offers a continuous follow-up to their implementation. It oversees stakeholder participation, corrective action, continuous improvement, and development of the plan’s outputs.

MODON was initially launched to adapt to the local and global variables and meet the growing needs for the primary environment required for the Kingdom’s industrial development.

The authority was also established to fulfill the future requirements and help the private sector play a more significant role in the development, operation and management of facilities and services.

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Business

Saudi Inflation Slows to Nine-Month Low in November

 People enjoy sitting outdoors as the summer heat eases in Riyadh (AFP). 
 People enjoy sitting outdoors as the summer heat eases in Riyadh (AFP). 
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Saudi Inflation Slows to Nine-Month Low in November

 People enjoy sitting outdoors as the summer heat eases in Riyadh (AFP). 
 People enjoy sitting outdoors as the summer heat eases in Riyadh (AFP). 

Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate slowed to 1.9 percent in November 2025, its lowest level in nine months, down from 2.2 percent in October, driven by easing housing costs and lower prices for food and beverages.

On a monthly basis, inflation remained broadly stable, edging up 0.1 percent compared with October.

According to data released on Monday by the Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category rose 4.3 percent year on year in November, down from 4.5 percent in October. Within that category, actual housing rents increased 5.4 percent, slowing from 5.7 percent a month earlier.

Prices in the food and beverages category rose 1.3 percent, reflecting a 1.6 percent increase in the prices of fresh, chilled and frozen meat. The transport category climbed 1.5 percent, driven by a 6.4 percent rise in passenger transport services.

The personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services category recorded the largest annual increase, up 6.6 percent, supported by a 19.9 percent surge in prices of other personal products, influenced by a 21.6 percent rise in jewelry and watch prices.

Prices for insurance and financial services increased 5.1 percent, led by an 8.4 percent rise in insurance costs. The recreation, sports and culture category rose 1.3 percent, reflecting a 2.1 percent increase in holiday package prices.

In contrast, prices for furniture, household equipment and routine household maintenance declined 0.3 percent. The restaurants and accommodation services category also fell 0.5 percent, as accommodation service prices decreased 2.3 percent.

GASTAT noted that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures changes in prices paid by consumers for a fixed basket of 582 items, while the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) tracks price movements of goods at the pre-retail stage for a fixed basket of 343 items.

Business

Northern Saudi Arabia Offers 240 Investment Opportunities Worth $10.6 Billion

Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz during the inauguration of the Northern Borders Investment Forum, alongside the Minister of Investment (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz during the inauguration of the Northern Borders Investment Forum, alongside the Minister of Investment (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
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Northern Saudi Arabia Offers 240 Investment Opportunities Worth $10.6 Billion

Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz during the inauguration of the Northern Borders Investment Forum, alongside the Minister of Investment (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz during the inauguration of the Northern Borders Investment Forum, alongside the Minister of Investment (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

The Northern Borders Investment Forum 2025 has unveiled more than 240 investment opportunities in northern Saudi Arabia, with a total value estimated at SAR 40 billion ($10.6 billion), spanning key sectors including livestock and food production, mining and energy, tourism and environment, and logistics.

Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Northern Borders Region, inaugurated the forum on Monday, at the Ministry of Interior Employees Club in the city of Arar. The event was attended by ministers, senior officials, experts and advisers, as well as company chairmen, chief executives and business leaders.

Prince Faisal said the forum reflects the government’s commitment to development and investment promotion, noting that the region possesses strong fundamentals, including natural resources, a strategic logistics location and advanced infrastructure. These advantages, he noted, position the Northern Borders as an attractive destination for high-quality investments aligned with Vision 2030.

He added that the forum provides an institutional platform to discuss sector-specific opportunities, showcase investment enablers, including incentives, financing and regulatory frameworks, and translate outcomes into practical programs and executive initiatives in coordination with national ministries and agencies.

For his part, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said the forum serves as a strategic platform to strengthen investment in the Northern Borders Region, support business growth and advance sustainable development goals under Vision 2030.

Also speaking at the event, Qutaiba Badawi, head of Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, highlighted the forum’s role in fostering professional dialogue and development cooperation, noting Saudi Arabia’s continued progress in improving its business environment and investment competitiveness.

The forum’s main panel discussion, titled “Northern Borders: A Global Investment Destination — Energy as a Driver of Growth and Sustainable Development,” brought together senior officials from the environment, energy, commerce, education and investment sectors, who underscored the region’s promising economic potential and partnership opportunities.

 

 

 

Business

Saudi Logistics and Supply Chain Investments Reach $74.6 Billion  

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser speaks at Monday's conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser speaks at Monday's conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Logistics and Supply Chain Investments Reach $74.6 Billion  

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser speaks at Monday's conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser speaks at Monday's conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Investments in Saudi Arabia’s supply chain and logistics sector have reached approximately SAR 280 billion ($74.6 billion) since the launch of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser said on Monday.

Speaking at the opening of the seventh Supply Chain and Logistics Conference in Riyadh, Al-Jasser said the strategy, launched by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has raised the contribution of transport and storage activities to 6.2 percent of gross domestic product. He added that air cargo volumes rose 34 percent year on year to 1.2 million tons.

The conference attracted strong participation from policymakers, sector leaders and international stakeholders.

Al-Jasser said Saudi Arabia has entered a new phase in its ambition to rank among the world’s top 10 countries on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, after jumping 17 places to 38th out of 160 countries.

The minister noted that the number of logistics hubs across the Kingdom has increased by about 30 centers, supporting economic diversification and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s role in global supply chains. He attributed the sector’s progress to leadership support and the goals of Vision 2030.

Saudi Arabia also ranked among the top four emerging markets out of 50 countries in the Agility Logistics Index 2025. Employment in the logistics ecosystem has grown to 651,000 workers, he underlined.

Al-Jasser described the Kingdom as a key pillar in safeguarding global supply chains and a central hub for Arab logistics integration amid ongoing global challenges.

The conference brings together 150 exhibitors and 14,000 participants, highlighting the sector’s importance to trade, tourism, industry and quality of life.

Al-Jasser revealed that Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector is undergoing unprecedented expansion, including airport development, fleet growth and supply chain integration, positioning the Kingdom as a reliable global logistics partner.

The Kingdom has also become a host for major international logistics events. Last year, it staged the inaugural Global Logistics Forum, and next year it will host the second UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum, in cooperation with the United Nations and the Saudi Ports Authority.

At the conference, Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Rubaian, senior vice president of Aramco Procurement and Supply Chain Management at Saudi Aramco, said the company’s Iktva (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) program has contributed about SAR 900 billion ($240 billion) to Saudi GDP over the past decade.

He said the program created more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, established 350 local manufacturing facilities, and enabled the local production of 47 products manufactured in the Kingdom for the first time.

Al-Jasser also inaugurated the exhibition accompanying the conference, where leading local and international companies showcased logistics technologies and services.

Over two days, the event will witness the signing of 93 agreements and memoranda of understanding worth SAR 19.05 billion ($5.2 billion), supporting the development of new logistics projects across the Kingdom.