RIYADH: In its ongoing efforts to support exporters in the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia granted 34,926 certificates of origin in July, up from 32,250 in June, as per a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. These certificates are part of the ministry’s new scheme to make it easier for Saudi businesses to export, and it has now handed out over 230,000 documents since its launch at the beginning of the year. The internationally recognized certificates show in which country a commodity or good was manufactured, and enable smoother global commerce. The scheme is part of the Kingdom’s goal under the Vision 2030 economic transformation initiative to increase the share of non-oil exports contribution to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product from 16 percent to 50 percent by the end of the decade. According to London-based broker Trade Finance Global, the certificates ultimately make a product more cost-efficient to buyers and easier to sell. The ministry stated that this service also aims to support the national industry and facilitates procedures that lead to the growth and development of Saudi exports. The ministry went on to explain that the certificates target industrial establishments, the commercial sector of companies and institutions, and individuals, including farmers, fishermen and others. The certificates come in four varieties: first is provided to local products of countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the second is dedicated to products of Arab countries. The third is a preferential type that is dedicated to Arab and GCC countries exporting to countries and economic federations with which they have free trade agreements. The ministry identified the fourth type as those offered in both Arabic and English, which is reserved for the remaining countries that are not granted preferential treatment. Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector is seeing unprecedented expansion, with investments in the Kingdom’s manufacturing environment exceeding SR495 billion ($132 billion) in the seven years since Vision 2030 was launched. To boost this further, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 99 new industrial licenses in May — a move that is expected to secure SR20.1 billion in new investments. Small enterprises acquired 89 percent of the new industrial licenses, followed by medium enterprises which bagged 10 percent of the permits, while micro-enterprises accounted for 1 percent.