A total of 816 factories and industrial plants, worth around SR21.76 billion ($5.8 billion) and employing a workforce of 65,816, are currently under construction in Saudi Arabia, said a report.

The metals and minerals industry topped the list with 342 factories under construction, followed by the rubber and plastics industry (128 factories), the food and beverages sector (59 factories) and the chemical products industry (55 factories), said the Zawya news report.

The number of factories operating in the kingdom stood at 7,788 at the end of the first half of 2017, with a total capital of SR1.094 trillion ($$291.7 million) and a workforce of nearly one million, added the report.