13/04/2026 03:32 AST
Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu said total investments in its industrial cities exceeded SR1.5 trillion ($400 billion) by the end of 2025, according to its annual report.
The growth underscores the commission's role as a key enabler of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, known as NIDLP, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global industrial and logistics hub by developing the industrial, mining, energy, and logistics sectors and enhancing their integration and investment attractiveness.
The figure reflects the scale of investments and the alignment of the authority's efforts with the objectives of the National Industrial Strategy, which seeks to develop national industries, maximize value addition, and expand the production base, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the national economy and increasing the contribution of the non-oil sector to economic growth.
Established in 1975, the Royal Commission was created to develop Jubail and Yanbu as integrated industrial cities, designed to leverage hydrocarbon resources to build downstream petrochemical and manufacturing ecosystems supported by ports, infrastructure networks, and industrial services.
Over the decades, the two cities have become central pillars of the Kingdom's industrial base and export capacity.
The industrial framework was further strengthened with the establishment of Saudi Basic Industries Corp., or SABIC, in 1976 to develop a globally competitive petrochemical sector.
Today, NIDLP brings together key entities responsible for industrial transformation, including the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, or MODON, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, or SIDF, and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, coordinating financing, industrial land development, and sectoral expansion.
Jubail and Yanbu remain the country's flagship industrial hubs, with Jubail focused on petrochemicals and heavy industry, while Yanbu serves as a refining and downstream processing center on the Red Sea coast, together forming dual export gateways linking Saudi industry to global markets.
The Kingdom's industrial scheme is designed to build a flexible, competitive, and sustainable industrial economy with clear, implementable outcomes. It aligns its framework with current and emerging global trends to guide strategic decision-making.
The strategy is grounded in detailed research and analysis at the sub-sector level and across value chain segments from an industrial investor's perspective, alongside an assessment of improvements in key economic indicators.
It leverages Saudi Arabia's core strengths, including its strategic geographic location, abundant natural resources, strong national champions and conglomerates, and monetary policy stability.
Arab News
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