954 licenses in three months
The Ministry issued 322 new industrial licenses in April, 268 in May and 364 in June, so the second quarter totalled 954, an average of 318 a month. The first quarter totalled 570, an average of 190 a month: 161 in January, 221 in February and 188 in March.
That puts the licenses issued in the first half of 2026 at 1,524 combined, about 63% of them (954) issued in a single quarter.
Source: Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, National Industrial and Mining Information Center, 2026 monthly reports, as published in the press and the Saudi Press Agency.
501 factories start production
A license is a step; a factory that actually starts production is the result. Production started at 188 factories in April, 149 in May and 164 in June, so the second quarter totalled 501, an average of 167 a month, against 297 in the first quarter (107 in January, 112 in February and 78 in March), an average of 99 a month.
Investment in the factories that started production in the second quarter reached about SAR 5.32 billion (SAR 2.01 billion in April, SAR 1.43 billion in May and SAR 1.88 billion in June), tied to about 8,583 new jobs (3,606, 2,410 and 2,567 respectively).
Source: Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, National Industrial and Mining Information Center, 2026 monthly reports, as published in the press and the Saudi Press Agency.
Investment above SAR 19 billion in one quarter’s licenses
Investment tied to the new licenses reached about SAR 19 billion in the second quarter: more than SAR 12.33 billion in April, about SAR 2.23 billion in May and about SAR 4.46 billion in June. April alone accounts for about two thirds of it, so the figure is shaped by large projects in a single month and does not reflect a steady monthly pace. The jobs expected from the new licenses in the quarter are estimated at more than 8,500.
| Indicator | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| New industrial licenses | 570 | 954 |
| Factories that started production | 297 | 501 |
| Average licenses a month | 190 | 318 |
| Average new factories a month | 99 | 167 |
| Growth between the quarters | Licenses +67.4% · Factories +68.7% | |
Source: Qoyod calculation from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources monthly reports for 2026.
What this means for those who supply or run factories
Five hundred new factories in three months mean a new supply chain: raw materials, packaging, spare parts, transport, maintenance and services. And in every case one accounting question recurs: what does what is produced or supplied actually cost, and how much of it is left?
First, if you run a small factory: know the unit cost from its components. The composite products feature in Qoyod lets you define an item by its components, so components are deducted from stock when the manufacturing order is recorded. It is available on the Advance plan only. It is worth being clear that Qoyod is an accounting system, not a manufacturing system, and does not support multi-level assembly structures.
Second, if you supply: know the margin of each item. The product cost and profit margin report shows average cost and margin per item, category and location, calculated from actual purchase invoices. In a market where the industrial customer base is widening, margin decides which items deserve your stock space.
Third, if you work with a large customer on a long contract: separate each contract’s result. The Tasks and Projects module tracks time and cost and ties them to the accounting entries, so you know which contract earned and which consumed your time.
Fourth, make your invoices compliant from the first supply. E-invoicing in Qoyod complies with Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2, and building the right books from the start is handled by the setup service at Qoyod, which covers the initial accounting setup and account structure.
Prepared by Qoyod based on documented system capabilities and Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources figures.
Recommendations
Four practical steps to take from the numbers in this report:
- If you supply industry, find which industrial activities are growing in your region, since new factories bring a local supply chain with them.
- Calculate unit cost from actual components before you raise output or supply.
- Separate each large contract’s accounts from the others from day one, so you know the true profit once it ends.
- Build financial readiness before the opportunity, not after it: regular books and compliant e-invoices.
954 licenses in one quarter, 501 new factories starting production, and more than SAR 19 billion of investment tied to the licenses: these are the numbers of an industrial base widening with confidence within the path of Saudi Vision 2030. The business that reads its cost with the precision of the item is the one that finds a place in this chain.
Sources
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via Ajel: June 2026 report (364 licenses, 164 factories, factory investment SAR 1.88 billion, 2,567 jobs, and the comparison of June with May).
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via Ajel: May 2026 report (268 licenses, 149 factories, factory investment SAR 1.43 billion, 2,410 jobs).
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via Ajel: April 2026 report (322 licenses, 188 factories, factory investment SAR 2.01 billion, 3,606 jobs, and investment tied to the licenses above SAR 12.33 billion).
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via Economy Today, relaying the Saudi Press Agency: March 2026 report (188 licenses, 78 factories).
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via Ajel: February 2026 report (221 licenses, 112 factories).
- Saudi Press Agency: January 2026 report (161 licenses, 107 factories). The National Industrial and Mining Information Center’s original bulletin was not available when this report was prepared.
- Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: e-invoicing requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2.