MODON Establishes 50 Ready-Made Factories to Help Small Enterprises

Products of ready-made factories support self-employment among members of society and provide more job opportunities in the industrial sector (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Products of ready-made factories support self-employment among members of society and provide more job opportunities in the industrial sector (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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MODON Establishes 50 Ready-Made Factories to Help Small Enterprises

Products of ready-made factories support self-employment among members of society and provide more job opportunities in the industrial sector (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Products of ready-made factories support self-employment among members of society and provide more job opportunities in the industrial sector (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) constructed 52 new ready-made factories in the Second Industrial City in Dammam and the Industrial City in al-Kharj.

MODON aims to enhance its strategy towards empowerment and contribute to increasing local content and localizing important sectors of the national economy through its “Ready Factories” with various areas between 700 and 1,500 square meters.

MODON’s Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications Dept, Qusai Al-Abdul Karim, explained that the new projects include 20 ready-made factories with an area of 700 square meters, 12 facilities of 1,500 square meters in the Industrial City of al-Kharj, and 20 factories with an area of 700 square meters in the Second Industrial City in Dammam.

He indicated that all facilities had been linked to the power supply and all were ready for allocation and investment.

Abdul Karim explained that the ready-made factory products support self-employment among members of society, provide more job opportunities in the industrial sector, and help implement MODON’s initiatives.

They also achieve economic diversification goals by attracting and localizing value-added investments within Vision 2030.

He stated that the authority had opened a lot of ready-made factories in some regions of the Kingdom to support industrial development and stimulate investments, including 24 factories in the Industrial City of Hail, 14 in Medina, and 78 in Sudair.

MODON recently signed a contract with an investment company to establish 84 ready-made factories with an area of 700 square meters per unit and an area of 80,749 square meters in Riyadh Third Industrial City.



SABIC Expects Capital Expenditure of $4 Bn in 2025

One of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) plants... (SPA)
One of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) plants... (SPA)
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SABIC Expects Capital Expenditure of $4 Bn in 2025

One of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) plants... (SPA)
One of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) plants... (SPA)

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s largest petrochemical companies, reported a net loss of 1.21 billion riyals ($322.6 million) for the first quarter of 2025, reflecting continued pressure on the global petrochemical sector.

Despite this, the company is maintaining disciplined capital investment management, with capital expenditure expected to range between $3.5 billion and $4 billion in 2025.

The loss was primarily attributed to a 1.05 billion riyal decline in gross profit, driven by rising feedstock prices, along with non-recurring costs of 1.07 billion riyals linked to a strategic restructuring initiative aimed at streamlining annual costs by approximately 345 million riyals and improving long-term operational efficiency.

SABIC CEO Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, speaking at a press conference following the release of the company’s results, highlighted ongoing challenges in the global economy, including a slowdown in global GDP growth.

 

 

“The first quarter business environment was marked by uncertainty, with global economic growth at just 2.97%, along with a slowdown in the manufacturing PMI, which intensified challenges for the sector,” he said.

Despite the losses, Al-Fageeh noted SABIC's remarkable resilience, supported by what he described as “stable demand” for petrochemicals. He emphasized the company’s continued focus on operational excellence and its transformation efforts throughout the year.

SABIC projects its capital expenditure to range between $3.5 billion and $4 billion in 2025, reaffirming its commitment to creating long-term value through operational excellence, transformation, and systematic growth as part of its future vision.

Mohammed Al-Farraj, Head of Asset Management at Arbah Capital, commented to Asharq Al-Awsat that initial forecasts from various research firms prior to the results announcement were mixed. While some expected a significant year-on-year drop in net profit, others predicted revenue growth.

“Looking at the reported results, we see that revenue aligned with expectations, indicating slight year-on-year growth, while the reported net loss was smaller than some estimates, which had anticipated larger losses,” Al-Farraj said.

“However, the results still fall short of profits from the same period last year. It is important to consider the impact of one-time restructuring costs when making comparisons,” he explained.