Employment of 151,000 Citizens in the Industry and Mining Sector
In an effort to maximize the impact of the Human Resources Development Fund in the industry and mining sector—one of the Kingdom’s most promising economic fields—HRDF announced its contribution to employing 151,000 Saudi men and women in the industry and mining sector from 2020 until the first half of 2025.
The Fund continues to enhance the competitiveness of national talent through 24 specialized, employment-linked training agreements signed during the same period, with a total value exceeding 1 billion SAR, targeting the training of more than 9,400 citizens. The employment sustainability rate for HRDF-supported beneficiaries in the sector has also risen to 80%.
HRDF’s efforts to empower the industry and mining sector included supporting 15 professional certificates in specialized fields within the sector. Additionally, the Fund increased the wage-support percentage for establishments operating in the sector under the Employment Support Program, covering 50% of the employee’s salary with a maximum of 3,000 SAR. More than 5,100 citizens have benefited from on-the-job training programs in the industrial sector.
These results reflect the Fund’s strategic role in enabling the sector within the labor market and supporting its shift toward high-value and promising industries. They also highlight HRDF’s ongoing efforts to build a sustainable national human capital base that ensures the Kingdom’s long-term economic growth and prepares a generation capable of innovation and keeping pace with future jobs.
Furthermore, they reaffirm the Fund’s pivotal role in supporting the development and sustainability of the Saudi economy and supplying emerging and promising sectors with qualified national talent—accelerating economic diversification and enabling major projects and development programs under Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at achieving a prosperous and sustainable economic future.
The National Industrial Strategy, derived from Vision 2030, focuses on developing vital industries and integrating advanced technologies and sustainable practices across various industrial sectors in partnership with the private sector. Its goals include strengthening global supply chains, increasing local production, and expanding the export of high-quality technological products worldwide. The strategy aims to reach 895 billion SAR in total manufacturing GDP by 2030 and create 2.1 million job opportunities by the same year.
In 2024, the industrial sector witnessed significant growth, with 1,346 new industrial licenses issued representing investments exceeding 50 billion SAR, and 1,075 factories commencing production with investments surpassing 48 billion SAR. The sector also created 44,000 new jobs during the year.
In parallel, the Mining Strategy places strong emphasis on developing mining supply chains to ensure that Saudi mineral resources support domestic industries and integrate with global markets. One of its key objectives is to create high-value jobs in mining, with a focus on skill development and employing national talent.
