Salman Aljishi

Saudi Industry at a Moment of Truth

19 July 2026 - 00:00 | Last updated 19 July 2026 - 00:00

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The decision to assign the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources to Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, alongside the Ministry of Energy, represents more than just a cabinet reshuffle. It is an announcement that the Kingdom views industry as the next phase in the story of economic transformation, and that energy is no longer an end in itself, but a means to build a more diverse and competitive industrial economy. However, the success of this step will not be measured by the number of new initiatives, but by their ability to courageously review existing policies. Today, Saudi industry does not suffer from a lack of strategies or plans, but rather from a gap between ambition and execution. I say this while recalling a personal experience that still lingers in my memory. Fifteen years ago, when I was the chairman of the Industrial Committee at the Eastern Chamber of Commerce, I received a call from Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who was then an official at the Ministry of Petroleum. He humbly asked me: How do you organize an industrial forum without involving the ministry or even inviting it? I apologized to him, acknowledging the shortcoming, but what remained in my mind was not the question, but his approach. A leader who chooses dialogue before blame, and listening before issuing judgments. Therefore, I find it my duty to present to him what I believe represents the priorities of the upcoming phase.

The decision to assign the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources to Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, alongside the Ministry of Energy, represents more than just a cabinet reshuffle. It is an announcement that the Kingdom views industry as the next phase in the story of economic transformation, and that energy is no longer an end in itself, but a means to build a more diverse and competitive industrial economy. However, the success of this step will not be measured by the number of new initiatives, but by their ability to courageously review existing policies. Today, Saudi industry does not suffer from a lack of strategies or plans, but rather from a gap between ambition and execution. I say this while recalling a personal experience that still lingers in my memory. Fifteen years ago, when I was the chairman of the Industrial Committee at the Eastern Chamber of Commerce, I received a call from Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who was then an official at the Ministry of Petroleum. He humbly asked me: How do you organize an industrial forum without involving the ministry or even inviting it? I apologized to him, acknowledging the shortcoming, but what remained in my mind was not the question, but his approach. A leader who chooses dialogue before blame, and listening before issuing judgments. Therefore, I find it my duty to present to him what I believe represents the priorities of the upcoming phase.