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.



Taiwan Expects Small Impact from Trump Tariffs on Chip Exports

A chip is pictured at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) at Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, September 16, 2022. Reuters/Ann Wang/ File Photo
A chip is pictured at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) at Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, September 16, 2022. Reuters/Ann Wang/ File Photo
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Taiwan Expects Small Impact from Trump Tariffs on Chip Exports

A chip is pictured at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) at Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, September 16, 2022. Reuters/Ann Wang/ File Photo
A chip is pictured at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) at Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, September 16, 2022. Reuters/Ann Wang/ File Photo

Taiwan only expects a small impact from any tariffs imposed by the incoming government of US President-elect Donald Trump on semiconductor exports given their technological superiority, Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei said on Friday.
Home to the world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the island is a key link in the global technology supply chain for companies such as Apple and Nvidia, according to Reuters.
But Taiwanese policymakers have warned new US tariffs against all countries from the Trump administration could curb economic growth this year for the export-dependent economy.
Trump has pledged a blanket tariff of 10% on global imports into the United States and a far higher 60% tariff on Chinese goods.
In late November, he specifically pledged a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico when he takes office on Jan. 20.
Asked at a news conference about the impact on Taiwan's export orders of Trump's tariffs, Kuo said it would not much affect the chip sector.
“For our semiconductors and advanced processes, there is an advantage of technological leadership and that cannot be replaced, and so the impact will be small,” he added.
Taiwan will also help companies relocate supply chains to the United States as needed, away from where there might be high import tariffs, Kuo said.
“Now we see that we should be able to develop the aerospace supply chain industry in the United States, and do some joining up with the US aerospace companies, so that some of Taiwan's aerospace research and development centres can be moved there,” he added.