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.



Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Industrial Sector Grows 5.3% in 2024

Saudi flags along a street in the capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 
Saudi flags along a street in the capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 
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Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Industrial Sector Grows 5.3% in 2024

Saudi flags along a street in the capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 
Saudi flags along a street in the capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil industrial sector recorded a strong 5.3% growth in 2024, underlining the Kingdom’s ongoing progress in diversifying its economy in line with the Vision 2030 agenda. The latest figures from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reveal that this growth was largely driven by manufacturing, utilities, and infrastructure development.

Despite the robust performance of the non-oil sector, overall industrial production declined by 2.3% compared to 2023. This contraction was mainly due to a 5.2% drop in oil-related activities, following the Kingdom’s adherence to OPEC+ oil production cuts. As a result, mining and quarrying shrunk by 6.8%.

Manufacturing expanded by 4.7% year-on-year, with food production up 6.2% and chemical manufacturing, including refined petroleum products, rising by 2.8%. These gains reflect increasing industrial capacity and rising demand in both domestic and export markets.

Other areas of growth included utilities and public services. Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning activities grew by 3.5%, while water supply, sewage, and waste management services posted a 1.6% increase.

Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim recently stated that non-oil activities now account for 53% of the Kingdom’s real GDP, compared to significantly lower levels before the launch of Vision 2030. He also noted a 70% increase in private investment in non-oil sectors over the same period.

The Kingdom’s non-oil exports reached SAR 515 billion (approximately $137 billion) in 2024, marking a 13% rise over 2023 and a 113% increase since 2016. Export growth spanned petrochemical and non-petrochemical products, with merchandise exports alone totaling SAR 217 billion.

According to a recent World Bank report, Saudi Arabia’s economy grew by 1.8% in 2024, up from 0.3% in 2023. While oil-sector output fell 3%, the non-oil economy expanded by 3.7%, cushioning the broader economy from energy market volatility. The World Bank forecasts continued growth, projecting a 2.8% increase in 2025 and an average of 4.6% annually through 2026 and 2027.