The Minister of Industry inaugurates the Industrial Transformation Exhibition in Saudi Arabia 2025

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, inaugurated today in Riyadh the “Saudi Industrial Transformation Exhibition,” a pivotal event in the Kingdom’s industrial sector. The Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center is hosting this prominent event from December 1st to 3rd, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, with a global strategic partnership that reflects the Kingdom’s ambitious drive to localize advanced technologies.

Global partnership and a future vision

This exhibition is the result of a collaboration with Hannover Messe, Germany, the world's oldest and largest industrial platform. In his opening remarks, Minister Al-Khorayef emphasized that the Kingdom's hosting of this event for the first time is not merely about organizing an exhibition, but rather a testament to Saudi Arabia's growing stature as a regional and global industrial hub and a key driver of industrial transformation. This reflects the confidence of international partners in the Kingdom's investment environment and technological capabilities.

This event falls within the broader context of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), which aims to transform the Kingdom into a leading industrial power and a global logistics hub. Adopting Industry 4.0 technologies is a key pillar for increasing the industrial sector's contribution to GDP and diversifying income sources away from oil.

Quality initiatives: Factories of the future and industrial beacons

Al-Khurayyif emphasized that the exhibition represents a strategic platform for connecting local factories with the world's leading technology solution providers, thus accelerating automation and digital transformation. The minister reviewed the ministry's efforts through the Advanced Manufacturing and Production Center, highlighting the ambitious "Factories of the Future" program, which aims to transform 4,000 factories into smart factories that rely on automation and artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency.

He also touched on the “Industrial Lighthouses” program, which aims to enable Saudi factories to join the World Economic Forum’s Industrial Lighthouses Network, with the goal of 14 Saudi factories reaching this prestigious position by 2030, thus placing Saudi industry on the map of global excellence.

Supporting innovation with 15 million riyals

In a practical step to support innovation, the ceremony honored nine winning projects under the “Innovative Factories Grants” initiative, with a total value of 15 million riyals. The projects spanned a variety of vital sectors, including:

• Sustainability and Mining: A smart mining technology company's project to transform bauxite waste into valuable products.
• Food security: Advanced Bio-Project to produce alternative protein from organic waste.
• Medical Technologies: Localization of the diagnostic testing industry by Wajha Scientific Company, and the microbial diagnostic system by the Saudi Company for Medical Solutions.
• Advanced manufacturing: Projects for the production of titanium powder, urban aviation platforms (AtherX), and 3D printing of large structures.

Saudi Arabia as a dynamic investment destination

For his part, Dr. Jochen Köchler, CEO of Deutsche Messe, the organizer of the Hannover Messe trade fair, praised the dynamism of the Saudi market, describing it as one of the fastest-growing markets globally. He emphasized that the clarity of Vision 2030's objectives and the speed of its implementation have made the Kingdom a focus of global attention, noting that the partnership in this exhibition represents an extension of his company's role in enabling future industries and supporting Saudi Arabia's promising industrial transformation journey.

The current edition of the exhibition is based on three main pillars: intelligence, sustainability, and resilience, aiming to enhance competitiveness and build a sustainable industrial economy based on knowledge and innovation.