Riyadh, January 13, 2022, SPA -- The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) said that the number of factories of mineral products at its industrial cities increased to more than 1,290 by the end of 2020. The remarks were made on the sidelines of Modon’s participation in the Future Minerals Forum, which is organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud between January 11 and 13, 2022 in Riyadh. Modon reviewed the structure of mineral industries in the industrial cities, and the services and products that contribute to enhancing the role of the private sector in the economic development. Modon CEO Eng. Khalid Al-Salem said that the industrial cities that Modon supervises own an advanced service system, and stimulating operational and procedural elements that made them an incubating environment for local and international investments of added value, as part of its strategy to empower industry and contribute to increasing the local content in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. He said: “Modon, as per initiatives tasked with it under the National Industrial and Logistics Program (NIDLP), contributes to enhancing the role of the mining and mineral industries sector in the national economy, for its being the third pillar for developing the Saudi industry, in accordance with the Saudi Vision goals, especially that it succeeded in increasing factories of mineral products to more than 1,290 factories by the end of 2020. Al-Salem noted that the western sector, which includes 15 industrial cities, is the biggest host of mineral products factories with a total of 487 factories, including 168 factories for non-metals and 319 factories for molded minerals except machinery and equipment, adding that the second biggest host is the central sector with 12 industrial cities that included a total of 446 factories, including 189 for non-metals and 257 factories for molded minerals except machinery and equipment, while the third biggest host is the eastern sector with 9 industrial cities that included a total of 364 factories, including 96 for non-metals and 268 factories for molded minerals except machinery and equipment. He noted that the increasing turnout of investment in the industrial cities is attributed to Modon’s integration with the structure of industry and mineral resources and the public and private sectors to create a comprehensive industrial community that keeps pace with the sustainable development requirements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. --SPA 15:18 LOCAL TIME 12:18 GMT 0015 www.spa.gov.sa/w1677906