Sustainability has become a driver of industrial efficiency and competitiveness rather than just an environmental duty, Eng. Khalid Al-Othman, Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainability and Green Economy, said as he presented a roadmap for a more sustainable Saudi industrial sector on the second day of the Saudi Industry Forum 2026 in Jeddah.

He said the transition needs government and regulators, industry and the private sector, finance, and technology and innovation providers to work together to create an integrated ecosystem that can support the shift and strengthen national industry.

Among the main hurdles for industrial firms, he listed uneven readiness, scarce data and measurement, difficulty turning goals into operational steps, and projects not yet ready to attract finance or plug into markets and supply chains.

Saudi industry's 2030 targets, he explained, include greater production and resource efficiency, more innovation and digitalization, wider use of the circular economy, investment-ready projects, stronger global competitiveness, better access to finance and the development of value chains.