The Industrial Sector in the GCC Countries
The industrial sector is considered the cornerstone of the development of global economies, with its indicators being a measure of a country’s progress and development. The strength of the industrial sector in some Western countries today has made them a reference point for the Arab world. Given the importance of this vital sector, “Mashro’ik” Consultancy is pleased to present the key insights of the industrial sector in the GCC countries:
Saudi Arabia:
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Number of active factories: 8,258 factories.
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Number of licensed workers: 968,121 workers.
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Capital of these factories is estimated at around 1,256,616 million Riyals.
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The largest industrial activities by number of factories are non-metallic minerals (1,641 factories), followed by rubber and plastics (1,122 factories).
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The Riyadh region accounts for the largest share of factories (3,332 factories), followed by the Eastern Province (1,877 factories), then Makkah Province (1,741 factories).
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Small factories represent 43.7% of the total number of factories (3,671 factories), with 111,354 workers.
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Medium factories represent 46.6% of the total number of factories (3,907 factories), with 379,342 workers.
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Large factories represent 9.7% of the total number of factories (813 factories), with 477,425 workers.
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There are 1,801 factories under construction, employing approximately 78,650 workers, with a capital of 68,481 million Riyals.
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The Riyadh region accounts for 40.4% of factories under construction (728 factories).
United Arab Emirates:
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According to the latest census, there are 6,481 factories.
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Number of workers: 737,126 workers.
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Number of establishments in the manufacturing sector: 32,654 establishments.
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Value of production in the UAE manufacturing sector: 448,127 million AED.
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The largest industrial activity by production value is the coke and refined petroleum products industry, with a production value of 119,787 million AED.
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Industrial exports currently exceed 240 billion AED.
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The UAE aims to rank 25th in the global industrial competitiveness index, up from 38th place in previous years.
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The state strategy supports the establishment of 13,500 small and medium enterprises.
Oman:
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There are 61,217 establishments in the manufacturing sector in Oman.
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The workforce in the manufacturing sector is 237,000 workers.
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The manufacturing sector contributes 9.6% to Oman’s GDP.
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31.4% of Oman’s total exports come from manufactured goods.
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The manufacturing sector has grown by 6% over the past five years.
Kuwait:
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Number of industrial establishments: 5,539 establishments.
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Number of workers in the sector: 160,654 workers.
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Total production value: 35,929,708 thousand Kuwaiti Dinars.
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The establishments employing 1-10 workers total 4,526, with 24,048 workers and a production value of 250,322 thousand Kuwaiti Dinars.
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Establishments employing 11-19 workers total 464, with 6,871 workers and a production value of 113,126 thousand Kuwaiti Dinars.
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Establishments employing more than 20 workers total 549, with 129,735 workers and a production value of 35,566,260 thousand Kuwaiti Dinars.
Qatar:
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Number of industrial establishments: 3,467 establishments.
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Number of workers in these establishments: 161,872 workers.
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Small and medium-sized industries make up about 84% of all factories in the country.
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The manufacturing sector contributes about 9.2% to Qatar’s GDP.
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Establishments employing fewer than 10 workers: 1,799 establishments, with 8,305 workers.
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Establishments employing more than 10 workers: 1,668 establishments, with 153,567 workers.