Kuwait gives nod to 110 major industrial facilities in 18 months

• Manufacturing formed metal products topped the list of licenses granted, followed by the food, non-metallic materials, chemical, and paper, beverage, and furniture industries. The new facilities are expected to employ over 5,000 workers.

• The General Organisation for Industry is dedicated to developing standards, granting and renewing licenses, simplifying procedures, and organizing industrial register registrations.

The General Organisation for Industry has approved licenses for the establishment of 110 major industrial facilities between January 1, 2023, and the end of June 2024, according to Al-Qabas newspaper.

According to a statistic obtained by Al-Qabas newspaper, the capital expected to be invested in the country’s industrial sector, due to the establishment of new industrial facilities, is estimated at 110 million dinars.

The workforce in these new industrial facilities is expected to exceed 5,000 workers, the report noted.

The activity of manufacturing formed metal products ranked first in terms of the number of licenses granted, followed by the food industry, the non-metallic materials industry, the chemical industry, and then the paper, beverage, and furniture industries.

Industrial facility owners seek 200,000 square meters of land

In this context, informed sources confirmed that the owners of new industrial facilities requested industrial land of up to 200,000 square meters to establish their factories. However, the required land is not currently available, leading them to seek industrial plots in the traditional market for renting, until new land and industrial plots become available through the authority for distribution.

The sources added that the Industry Authority aims to streamline all transactions for industrial investors in one place. This includes simplifying procedures for licenses and the industrial register, monitoring their implementation, and evaluating the economic feasibility studies for industrial projects.

The authority is focused on preparing and developing standards, granting and renewing industrial and craft licenses, following up on their implementation through simplified procedures, and organizing the registration process in the industrial register.

Developing six key industrial sectors

Sources revealed that the authority plans to focus on developing and supporting six key industrial sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, and other industrial activities.

The sources added that among the priorities for government support, as represented by the Industrial Commission, will be heavy industries and building materials. The authority will also pay attention to traditional industrial activities, such as the food industry and building materials.