Industry

Aluminium has not been smelted in Saudi Arabia previously, but the Kingdom is now entering a market neighbouring countries have been active in for some time. A $10.8bn integrated aluminium complex is under development by a joint venture formed in 2009 between Ma’aden and the US’s Alcoa. The complex’s smelter is due to begin...

Steel producers in the Kingdom have good reason to feel bullish about the sector. According to a September 2012 report by RNCOS, an industry research firm, growth in local steel consumption exceeded 10% in 2011, while between 2012 and 2015 growth is expected to accelerate to a compound annual 19.5%. The potential for growth in...

Petrochemicals and plastics remain at the vanguard of Saudi Arabia’s push to diversify its economy away from reliance on oil. Products in these segments make up the bulk of the Kingdom’s non-oil exports, with petrochemicals accounting for nearly 37% and plastics around 30%, according to figures from the Central Department for...

As growth in pharmaceuticals demand is flagging across much of the developed world, international players are casting about for new lands of opportunity. Saudi Arabia is likely to attract considerable attention. While the Kingdom’s market is not growing at the rates seen in countries such as China, India and Brazil, it has been...

The food and beverage industry is changing along with the rest of the country, and facing very much the same opportunities and challenges. As Indonesia becomes more prosperous, business becomes better; but just as food and beverage firms experience the demand that comes with prosperity, they are also facing some of the more frustrating aspects of...

The pulp and paper industry is one of the most successful sectors in Indonesia. It has been growing steadily since the late 1980s, generates almost $6bn in exports, accounts for about 1% of the country’s GDP and employs about a quarter of a million people. The sector has been a vital part of the Indonesian success story, in particular because of how...