The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, "Monsha’at," has released the Small and Medium Enterprises Monitor Report for the first quarter of this year. This report focuses on the promising economic opportunities in the handicrafts sector, coinciding with the announcement of 2025 as the Year of Handicrafts.

The report highlights the existing partnership between "Monsha’at" and the "Ministry of Culture" in general, as well as the governmental and private initiatives aimed at developing this sector, including support and empowerment programs. According to data from the Heritage Authority, there are over 4,900 registered artisans in the national database practicing more than 50 handicrafts across various regions of the Kingdom, of which about 850 have benefited from training programs to enhance their skills.

Dr. Jasir Al-Harbash, CEO of the Heritage Authority, emphasized the importance of handicrafts as a promising path for entrepreneurs, noting that more than 34 licenses have been issued for the sale of traditional handicraft products, alongside the licensing of over 4,954 artisans.

Susan Al-Yahya, CEO of the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts "Wrth," explained that the institute supports artisans by launching incubators and accelerators, providing specialized training and consulting programs, and building effective networking within the sector.

The report revealed that the number of commercial registrations for small and medium enterprises reached 1.68 million by the end of the first quarter of 2025, reflecting an annual increase of 48%. Most of these registrations are concentrated in the capital, Riyadh, at 39%, followed by the Makkah region at 17%, the Eastern Province at 16%, the Qassim region at 5.5%, and the Asir region at 5%. The remaining commercial registrations are distributed across other regions at 17.5%. 

It is worth noting that the Small and Medium Enterprises Monitor Report is part of a series of quarterly reports published by "Monsha’at," which review the latest developments in the entrepreneurial environment and current statistics. Additionally, a series of specialized reports are periodically published by the authority on topics of interest to entrepreneurs in the Kingdom, aiming to provide a reliable reference for information and figures for small and medium enterprise owners, investors, and stakeholders in the sector. 

You can view the report through the following link: [SME Monitor Q1 2025 - AR](SME Monitor Q1 2025 - EN.pdf) for more information and statistics related to the sector