RIYADH, 21 September 2007 — The number of factories in the Kingdom reached 3,808 in the first quarter of 2007, with a total capital of SR306 billion, a statistical report published by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said yesterday.

These factories employ 415,000 workers, the report added.

The statistics showed that the largest industrial ventures are in the manufacturing, chemicals and plastic products sectors, followed by ceramics, construction materials, textiles, metal products, equipment and foodstuffs.

The value of the Kingdom’s industrial exports in 2006 stood at SR79 billion for non-oil products that were exported to more than 120 countries, the report said.

“The petrochemical products worth SR24.09 billion topped the Kingdom’s exports list excluding crude oil in 2006, followed by plastic products valued at SR18.07 billion, common metals valued at SR6.17 billion and commodities worth SR18. 62 billion. The Kingdom also re-exported products and commodities valued at SR12.36 billion,” the statistics said.

The report showed that 14 industrial cities in the Kingdom occupied an area of more than 90 million square meters.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is currently operating a number of new industrial cities. Some of them are still being developed while others will be unveiled in the future, the report said.

“The total development expenditure in these cities amounted to more than SR 2.5 billion in May 2004,” the statistics noted.

The industrial sector significantly developed in the Kingdom over the past 30 years and the industrial sector witnessed remarkable growth in terms of quantity and quality amid efforts of the government to build a strong industrial base in the country.

Port Activities Pick Up

The ports in Saudi Arabia, which served as the outlet for 95 percent of its exports and imports, handled more than 2 billion tons of cargo over the past 31 years, according to a report issued by the Saudi Ports Authority yesterday.

“The Kingdom has eight major ports with a total of 184 piers capable of receiving the largest ships in the world and operating round the clock throughout the year. These piers are equipped with most advanced navigational assistance systems to guarantee the safety of navigation of ships,” the Saudi Press Agency said quoting the report.

The total cargo handled by the Kingdom’s ports during 2006 is estimated at 134 million tons of exported and imported goods, excluding crude oil.

The exports, which amounted to 81.5 million tons, accounted for 61 percent of the total handled cargo.

The major export items were refined petroleum products, petrochemicals and industrial materials. Imports amounted to about 52.5 million tons, most important of them were foodstuffs, construction and raw materials and consumer goods, the report said.

The number of containers received in the Kingdom’s ports during 2006 was more than 3.9 million, the report added.

“Under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Saudi Ports Authority paid special attention to the pilgrims arriving and departing through these ports. As such, the Saudi Ports Authority established modern terminals with advanced equipments and integrated services,” the report further said.

The number of passengers who traveled in 2006 using these ports reached more than 1.32 million, it said.