Saudi industrial cities are witnessing tangible progress to become the preferred investment destination.
During the past year, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) updated its strategy in line with Vision 2030.
The strategy seeks to place Modon as the best investment destination through several initiatives to complete the infrastructure and adopt the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The strategy was based on the National Industrial Development and Logistics Services Program (NIDLP) requirements.
A recent report issued by Modon, a copy of which was reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat, revealed that infrastructure works in al-Kharj Industrial City are 58 percent completed, 54 percent in Dhurma Industrial City, and 4 percent in Qassim Industrial City.
The report indicated that infrastructure in Riyadh's 2nd and 3rd Industrial Cities is 37 percent complete and 33 percent in Medina.
Modon continues to establish infrastructure and rainwater drainage in Jeddah's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Industrial Cities with a 16 percent completion rate.
Infrastructure and stormwater drainage systems in the 2nd and 3rd Industrial Cities in Dammam are 29 percent completed.
According to the report, the ready-made products initiative to support entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises was about 57 percent done last year, while the development of the Taif Industrial City reached 40 percent.
Modon recently launched a program to support small and medium enterprises in innovation in cooperation with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The program aims to develop the industrial sector in the Kingdom and is done within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two at the end of 2019 to support and implement projects that contribute to industrial development in the Kingdom.
The Authority confirmed that the program was launched in two phases last year and included several workshops and meetings from KAUST University to help Modon's partners within the industrial cities overcome development and innovation challenges.
The program comes within the strategy to empower the industry and increase the content to establish integrated partnerships with the public and private sectors and achieve objectives of Vision 2030.
Modon also has several initiatives within NIDLP aiming to diversify the national economy and establish sustainable development concepts in the Kingdom.
The various initiatives and programs create a successful model for cooperation between the industrial sector and the academic and scientific community to help small and medium-sized enterprises generate job opportunities, adopt innovation foundations, diversify and increase their customer base and reach new markets.
Since its establishment in 2001, Modon has been developing and supervising industrial lands and integrated infrastructure.
It oversees 36 current and planned industrial cities across the Kingdom with over 4000 factories and private industrial cities and complexes.
Modon seeks to develop and manage distinguished industrial cities and technology zones in line with national priorities and partnerships with the public and private sectors. It also aims to enable private sector partners to contribute to the diversification of national income for a prosperous economy.
