Saudi Arabia is wasting no time in pursuing its diversified manufacturing plans. It started in May 2024 by PIF (Public Investment Fund) company Alat signing a strategic framework agreement with Lenovo on their proposed plan for Saudi Arabia. That saw the investment grow to US$2 Billion announced in January 2025, with the plans set for a manufacturing facility in the country.
On the sidelines of LEAP 2025, Lenovo and Alat have officially broken ground on the site where the future factory will be based to build PCs and servers.
Manufacturing to sale/export
According to official details shared, the entire facility will be built on a 200,000 sqm campus site situated at “Riyadh Integrated” – located 15 minutes from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. This will be operated by the Special Integrated Logistics Zone (SILZ), with the goal of producing millions of “Made in Saudi Arabia” laptops, desktops and servers. The factory itself is “designed, constructed, and operated to high standards of sustainability”, expanding Lenovo’s manufacturing presence worldwide of 30+ factories.
Production for these products is expected to start sometime in 2026. I even talked about on our podcast (embedded below).
Alat has projected it to create up to 15,000 direct jobs and 45,000 indirect jobs. The number also includes the new regional HQ for the Middle East and Africa region, a flagship retail space, and more.
Regional Priorities
Back in 2021, Qatar announced they were setting up a similar facility at the QFZA (Qatar Free Zone Authority). There hasn’t been any progress updates being shared since the announcement. That news now pales in comparison to what Saudi Arabia has been pursuing. The country’s leadership is eager to see it through to the final launch.
It’s only a matter of time to see who else will follow Lenovo on the same path. Will other nearby countries also explore similar ventures? Time will tell, but seeing “Made in Saudi Arabia” on Lenovo devices sold in the Middle East will nurture some Arab pride.
Image Credit: Alat on X
