Cheapest industrial energy of 33 economies keeps Saudi Arabia 4th in new competitiveness ranking
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — October 14, 2026 — Saudi Arabia ranks 4th of 33 economies in Intratec Solutions' new manufacturing competitiveness ranking, the same place it held all year, and cheap energy, more than anything else, is why. Saudi industry pays $12.1 per MMBtu for energy, the cheapest price of the 33. The United Kingdom, the most expensive, pays $42.0, more than three times as much.
The Industry Economics & Competitiveness 2025 Annual Review scores 33 countries, together more than 80% of global manufacturing output, as places to make industrial commodities such as plastics, fertilizers and industrial metals. All 33 are measured on the same basis, across 14 pillars, including labor costs, industrial energy prices and taxes, which combine into one 0–100 Country Score. Saudi Arabia scores 53.2, down 0.3% year on year, and holds the rank it had in 2024.
The top three places belong to China, India and Indonesia, and Indonesia has the cheapest operating base of the 33. No economy in the field, however, buys energy for less than Saudi Arabia. China pays $18.5 per MMBtu and the United States $22.3, against a 33-country average of $24.0.
The rest of the Saudi cost base is cheap too. Manufacturing labor costs $4.0 an hour as paid, the sixth-cheapest wage of the 33. Once output is counted, Saudi Arabia is the second-best value for labor of the 33. Building a plant costs 0.92 times the US price, and employers pay a 15% charge on wages. The country also ranks 3rd of 33 for its macroeconomic environment and 3rd for processing margin, the gap between what raw materials cost and what the product sells for.
“Saudi Arabia buys the cheapest energy of the 33 countries we track — $12.1 per MMBtu, and it has held first place for eleven years running. Only Indonesia gives better value for manufacturing labor. For a company choosing where to build, 4th of 33 is not an oil story; it is arithmetic.”
— Bruno Maia, Lead Analyst, Industry Economics & Competitiveness
What holds Saudi Arabia back is not the cost of making things but the cost of selling them abroad. Freight ranks 28th of 33, logistics 21st and access to foreign markets 28th.
The Industry Economics & Competitiveness 2025 Annual Review covers calendar year 2025, compared with 2024. Every figure is checked twice, first by computer and then by a human analyst, before it is published. The ranking is free to read and the methodology is open.
About Intratec Solutions
Intratec Solutions — Independent Commodity, Energy & Industrial Intelligence. In operation since 2002, Intratec turns complex commodity and industrial data into clear, comparable intelligence. Its AI-enabled products cover prices, market dynamics, production economics, and the broader conditions that shape competitiveness. More at intratec.us.
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