The first day of the second edition of the Local Content Forum kicked off under the theme "Partnerships for Sustainable Development," organized by the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority. The forum saw the signing of strategic agreements worth more than 12.4 billion riyals, alongside the launch of several initiatives to boost local content development and localize industries, as part of achieving the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

Billion-Riyal Agreements to Support the National Economy

Highlights of the forum's first day included:

  • The signing of 15 agreements to localize industries and transfer knowledge in strategic sectors, most notably:
    • Localizing the manufacture of multi-purpose vehicles and light transport vehicles in partnership with Senaam.
    • Manufacturing fire suppression products and breathing apparatus in partnership with Nafco.
    • Localizing the manufacture of data center servers with Alfanar and HPE.
    • Signing agreements to develop new industries such as oxygen sensors, therapeutic products like "empagliflozin," and stadium seating.
    • The total GDP impact of these agreements reached 12.402 billion riyals.

Launch of Programs and Initiatives to Boost Local Content

The forum saw the launch of several innovative initiatives, including:

  1. The "Made in Saudi – Gold Category" mark, to promote excellence in national products.
  2. 3 programs to support local content:
    • The "Sustainability" program by Alfanar.
    • The "Watanaha" program by Sadara.
    • The "Nartaqi" program by Saudia Group.

Development Agreements and Notable Investments

On the sidelines of the forum, investment agreements worth 700 million riyals were signed, most notably:

  • Establishing regional headquarters for global companies within the Kingdom, such as Sandoz, Sanofi and Hikma.
  • Building an industrial complex for cancer treatment and developing injectable medicines.
  • Implementing development projects covering research and development, technology transfer, and industry localization.

Contributions Across Vital Sectors

Forum sessions focused on the role of local content across various sectors, including:

  1. Industry: discussing strategies to boost national products.
  2. Energy: highlighting the role of local content in strategic projects.
  3. Logistics services: reviewing plans to develop transport and infrastructure.

Workshops to Build Knowledge

25 workshops were held on the sidelines of the first day, covering key themes including:

  • Local content preference in major companies' procurement.
  • A review of the local content preference regulation.
  • The local content measurement journey and performance improvement mechanisms.

Day Two Goals

The forum continues on Thursday with 5 panel discussions and 21 workshops, along with the signing of additional agreements and the launch of programs to boost local content across various sectors.