930 factories operating in Kuwait employ 149,120 workers; jointly ranked fifth with Bahrain
Saudi Arabia leads other GCC countries with 9,094 factories and $245.2 billion in industrial investments, followed by the UAE with 7,328 factories, Oman with 1,932, Qatar with 989, and Bahrain with 930.
According to recent industrial indicators, Kuwait currently has 930 operating factories employing a total of 149,120 workers. Data from the industrial platform showed that small factories dominate the sector, accounting for 786 establishments or 84.5 percent of all factories in the country.
Medium-sized factories number 80, representing 8.6 percent, while 64 large factories make up the remaining 6.8 percent.
In terms of investment, large factories hold the lion’s share at 77.1 percent, equivalent to $1.2 billion. Medium factories account for $279.19 million, or 16.8 percent, while small factories represent $98.49 million, or 5.9 percent of total investments.
The labor force is similarly concentrated in smaller operations, with 117,160 workers — 78.5 percent of the total — employed by small factories. Large factories employ 12.2 percent of the workforce, while medium factories account for 9.2 percent.
Trade data revealed that Kuwait’s total imports reached $37.2 billion, with exports valued at $83.5 billion and re-exports at $1.9 billion. The United Arab Emirates ranked as Kuwait’s top export destination with 1.4 percent of total exports, followed by India, Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, Iraq, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan.
Gas production leads Kuwait’s key manufacturing sectors, representing 8.12 percent of total industrial investment. It is followed by the production of wall and floor materials, plastics, iron and steel pipes, air conditioning units, metal structures, ready-mix concrete, and dairy products such as milk and yogurt.
Petroleum and mineral oils remain Kuwait’s top export products, accounting for 59.6 percent of total exports. They are followed by fuel oils, diesel, naphtha, propane and butane gases, sulfonated hydrocarbon derivatives, ethylene glycol, and engine fuels.
On the import side, smartphones topped the list with 3.18 percent, followed closely by jewelry at 3.14 percent and SUVs at 3 percent. Other leading imports include newer-model vehicles at 2.87 percent, medicines at 2.7 percent, gold bullion at 2.4 percent, and pipes used in oil and gas exploration at 1.3 percent.
China ranked as Kuwait’s largest import partner with 19.9 percent of total imports, followed by Japan at 6.17 percent, Germany at 4.4 percent, and France at 2.4 percent. Other key partners include the UAE, India, Italy, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.
Across the Gulf region, industrial indicators show a total of 22,013 factories employing 2.55 million workers, with combined exports valued at $531.85 billion and imports at $528.61 billion. Total industrial investments in the Gulf amount to $403.64 billion, and the sector contributes 12.79 percent to the region’s GDP.
Saudi Arabia leads with 9,094 factories and $245.2 billion in industrial investments, followed by the UAE with 7,328 factories, Oman with 1,932, Qatar with 989, Kuwait with 930, and Bahrain with 930. Kuwait’s industrial investments are valued at approximately $1.6 billion.
