Implementation of Additive Manufacturing Technologies for the Growth and Sustainability of Manufacturing SMEs in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study

International distribution compels global value chain members to demand highly innovative and technological advancements in their products and processes. The members include small, medium, and large enterprises from both the manufacturing and service categories. Due to short product lifecycles and resource limitations, SMEs are unable to fulfill global value chain requirements in terms of new product development, consequently struggling to sustain manufacturing. In Saudi Arabia, more than 10% of SMEs currently belong to the manufacturing sector, and the majority continue to use conventional manufacturing technologies. Against this backdrop, and to strengthen existing SMEs and enhance their growth, the author conducted a comprehensive literature review on the applicability of additive manufacturing technologies in the manufacturing of various products. The review indicated that the implementation of additive manufacturing technologies faces several difficulties; thus, the author selected two manufacturing SMEs to obtain information on the necessary requirements to implement additive manufacturing technologies. The author interacted with executives from two manufacturing companies, one located in Sudair Industrial City and the other in the industrial center of Dammam. These interactions revealed that better financing, industry–academia collaborations, and stronger inter-company ties boost the adoption of additive manufacturing and support SME growth. Optimizing the use of resources, minimizing the use of materials during the production process through the use of 3D printing technologies, and optimizing time and labor costs help to enhance the economy, which is one of the main components of sustainability.