As many as 3, 657 productive factories in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stand as a witness for the remarkable industrial development accomplished in the country. Up to the end of the first quarter of 1425 AH, an amount of SR 256 billion was invested in these factories, while the number of workers at these factories jumped to 346,000. These industries include chemical industries, plastic products, pottery, building materials, textile, ready-made garments, metal manufactured products, and foodstuff industries. The Kingdom's non-oil industrial exports to 120 countries amounted to about SR 50 billion by the end of 1414 AH. According to the available statistics, the contribution of the down stream industries (without oil refinery) amounted to ten percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) by the end of 1423 AH, while the rate of the industrial development growth reached 23 percent. --more 10 42 Local Time 07 42 GMT
