Technologies not in rivalry with Saudi employees: Alkhorayef

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef 

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef stressed that investment opportunities in the industrial sector have changed fundamentally, adding that the Kingdom is one of the countries most prepared to adopt modern manufacturing technologies, thanks to the great national will represented in the directions of Vision 2030.

During his participation in the RAD Entrepreneurship Forum & Exhibition in the Eastern Province, the minister said that there is no rivalry between technology and the Saudi employee, indicating that the demographic composition shows a large percentage of young people and their tendency to use modern technologies, which help accelerate the transformation of the Kingdom's industrial sector.

The National Strategy for Industry includes more than 60 empowering initiatives, half of which are directed to the entrepreneurship sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), said Alkhorayef.

He added that work is underway to create spaces for entrepreneurs in industrial cities, and that there are a number of initiatives launched by the industry and mineral resources system that have achieved a number of successes for entrepreneurs, including the Industry Hackathon organized by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and the “Thousand Miles” initiative launched by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLAP).

Elsewhere, accelerating exploration is one of the priorities that the ministry is working on in the mining sector, including accelerated exploration carried out by the state, in addition to exploration carried out by companies, according to Alkhorayef.

The minister also highlighted stated that the "Made in Saudi Arabia" program plays a significant role in strengthening the identity of Saudi products and encouraging their acquisition, as well as opening overseas markets to Saudi exporters.