The Yanbu Industrial City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Pre-Feasibility Study was a comprehensive economic advisory engagement commissioned by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY) — the Saudi Arabian government authority responsible for planning, developing, and managing the Kingdom’s two flagship industrial cities. Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din served as Principal Economic Planner, leading the pre-feasibility study to assess the viability, design parameters, and strategic positioning of a new Special Economic Zone within Yanbu Industrial City under Saudi Vision 2030.
Yanbu Industrial City, located on the Red Sea coast, is one of Saudi Arabia’s most critical industrial hubs, home to major petrochemical complexes, petroleum refineries, and downstream manufacturing industries. The RCJY’s strategic vision under Vision 2030 called for expanding Yanbu’s industrial base beyond hydrocarbons, attracting foreign direct investment, and creating a diversified economic ecosystem capable of generating non-oil employment and export revenues. The SEZ pre-feasibility study was a foundational step in this transformation agenda.
The pre-feasibility analysis for the Yanbu Industrial City SEZ encompassed several key domains of economic and strategic inquiry. The market analysis component examined global demand trends for industries aligned with Yanbu’s existing capabilities — including petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, metals processing, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. International SEZ benchmarking was conducted across high-performing free zone models including China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, Malaysia’s Iskandar Regional Development Authority, and Jordan’s Aqaba Special Economic Zone.
Fiscal incentive modelling was a critical deliverable, examining the structure of tax holidays, customs duty exemptions, profit repatriation rights, and land lease arrangements needed to attract targeted investor profiles. Labour force projections assessed both the local Saudi workforce development requirements and the expatriate skills mix needed to operationalise the SEZ across different development phases. Infrastructure requirements assessment covered utility systems, road and port connectivity, logistics facilities, ICT infrastructure, and environmental management systems.
The study produced a detailed investment-grade pre-feasibility report providing RCJY with a structured assessment of economic viability, implementation risks, governance models, and phased development scenarios for the Yanbu SEZ. Recommendations were directly aligned with Saudi Vision 2030’s industrial diversification targets, NEOM connectivity corridor planning, and the Kingdom’s National Industrial Development and Logistics Programme (NIDLP). The SEZ model proposed was designed to position Yanbu as a competitive export-processing and value-added manufacturing destination in the GCC and broader MENA region.
This engagement reflects Dr. Mohey-ud-din’s deep expertise in Special Economic Zone strategy, GCC industrial policy, and investment facilitation advisory — areas that span his broader portfolio of work with RCJY, the Punjab government in Pakistan, and international development institutions including the World Bank and UK Department for International Development. The Yanbu SEZ pre-feasibility study is a landmark project demonstrating the applied integration of economic planning, SEZ governance design, and Vision 2030 industrial strategy at the city scale.