176 Industries Localized in Saudi Arabia with Investments Exceeding $34 Billion

Saudi Arabia is seeking to localize various industries, which will reflect positively on the country’s gross domestic product. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia is seeking to localize various industries, which will reflect positively on the country’s gross domestic product. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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176 Industries Localized in Saudi Arabia with Investments Exceeding $34 Billion

Saudi Arabia is seeking to localize various industries, which will reflect positively on the country’s gross domestic product. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia is seeking to localize various industries, which will reflect positively on the country’s gross domestic product. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Local Content Coordination Council revealed that the value of opportunities that were developed and launched in the Kingdom during the past year, with the aim to increase local content, reached about 24.8 billion riyals ($6.6 billion).

In parallel, 176 industries were localized in three years from 2019 to 2022 with an investment value amounting to SR128 billion.

The announcement came during the sixth meeting of the Local Content Coordination Council, headed by Bandar Alkhorayef, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority.

The percentage of the procurement index of domestic goods amounted to 69.25% from the total spending on goods in 2021, according to the council.

It added that the value of the opportunities which were developed and launched in order to increase the local content reached SR24.8 billion.

The council also stressed that the percentage of local content reached 45.8% of the total expenditure on member companies’ purchases of goods and services in 2021.

The council was established to lead the process of developing local content under the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, and unify the efforts of the relevant government agencies and major national companies.

It also promotes strategic partnerships with major companies based on specific criteria.

The council held its sixth meeting in the presence of Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al-Samari, CEO of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, along with representatives of board members from the Ministries of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Maaden, the Saudi Electricity Company, and the STC Group, as well as the General Organization of Saudi Arabian Airlines, and the Federation of Saudi Chambers.



Brazil President Signs Law Authorizing Offshore Wind Development

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends an event marking two years since the alleged coup attempt when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded government buildings and called for a military intervention, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends an event marking two years since the alleged coup attempt when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded government buildings and called for a military intervention, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP)
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Brazil President Signs Law Authorizing Offshore Wind Development

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends an event marking two years since the alleged coup attempt when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded government buildings and called for a military intervention, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends an event marking two years since the alleged coup attempt when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded government buildings and called for a military intervention, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed into law a bill authorizing the development of offshore wind farms, a statement said late on Friday, a bid to strengthen the country's energy security and spark a wave of investment.

The new law foresees incentives for the development of offshore energy projects in Brazilian territorial waters, the statement said.

Offshore wind speeds tend to be faster and steadier than on land, a potential advantage compared with wind farms built on a continent. But offshore wind farms can be expensive, difficult to build and potentially affect marine animals and birds, according to the American Geosciences Institute.

The Brazilian government said the law provides guidelines for projects and restoration of explored areas, in addition to requiring prior consultations with affected communities to ensure "respect for traditional maritime practices and local culture."

More than 80% of Brazil's electricity comes from renewable sources, mainly hydroelectric, according to government data.

The president vetoed provisions in the law, introduced during the congressional debate, which would maintain incentives for "more polluting, expensive and inefficient energy sources such as thermoelectric, coal and gas plants," the statement said.