RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has launched a program that aims to move 4,000 factories away from relying on low-skilled workers to instead automating their manufacturing.

Alongside raising the competitiveness, efficiency and quality of industry, the Future Factories Program will create quality jobs, the ministry said in a statement. 

It has also announced the adoption of the Smart Industry Readiness Index methodology to assess the operational readiness of factories. 

Launched in two tracks, the program’s first path targets new factories to be designed and built according to high standards in manufacturing and production efficiency.

The second element of the strategy targets existing factories, seeking to convert them into ones adopting standards of operational excellence and advanced technologies. 

This comes as part of the ministry’s continuation of the digital transformation policy adopted by Saudi Vision 2030.