The number of manufacturing factories operating in the Arabian Gulf states has grown from 4,364 in 1990 to 7,487 in 2000, according to a recently published report by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting. These figures translate into a 71 percent increase over the span of a decade, reports Al-Hayat daily.
The report revealed that the total value of investments in the local manufacturing industry in the Arabian Gulf states rose to $83.2 billion in 2000, up from $33 billion in the previous year, reflecting a 152 percent jump.
Free Trade Zones have played an instrumental role in attracting manufacturing industries in the region. Cement, building materials, aluminum, chemical fertilizers and foodstuffs industries constitute the major portion of this sector, followed by textiles, furniture, paper and carton, plastics, fiber glass and processed metals. ― (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
