Saudi Minister Underscores Kingdom’s Global Industrial Leadershi p at UNIDO Investment and Partnership Day

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its position as a global driver of industrial transformation during the UNIDO General Conference in Riyadh, where His Excellency Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, delivered a keynote address and participated in high level UNIDO sessions.

Opening the UNIDO Investment and Partnership Day, HE AlKhorayef welcomed international delegates by stating that Riyadh has become a global meeting place for ideas, innovation, and opportunity. He emphasized that hosting the UNIDO General Conference reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a catalyst for investment, industrial development, and sustainable economic growth.

In his keynote speech, the Minister described the scale of Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation under Vision 2030, noting that the Kingdom has issued thousands of new industrial licenses, attracted global companies, and expanded advanced sectors such as renewable energy, smart manufacturing, and critical minerals. He explained that these changes are shaping a new industrial landscape built on innovation, human talent, and international cooperation. Our ambition is simple, he said. We aim to be one of the world’s most attractive destinations for industrial and investment partnerships, ensuring that every partnership creates value that is shared across borders.

HE AlKhorayef highlighted the Kingdom’s strong partnership with UNIDO, calling it a strategic alignment of vision and purpose. UNIDO has been a key partner on this journey, he noted. Its mission of promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development mirrors our own national priorities.†He emphasized that both Saudi Arabia and UNIDO are committed to using industry as a pathway for economic resilience, social opportunity, and environmental responsibility.

A significant element of the Minister’s remarks focused on the empowerment of women and youth within the Kingdom’s industrial ecosystem. He pointed to the rapid rise of women in the workforce, who now represent more than one third of national employment, and highlighted their leadership across factories, industrial zones, and manufacturing hubs. When women thrive, industries innovate and societies prosper, he said. He also underscored the role of young Saudis in driving national initiatives such as Saudi Made, the Future Minerals Forum, and the National Industrial Strategy. The future of industry belongs to those who can adapt, imagine, and collaborate, he stated. Our youth are already shaping that future.

HE AlKhorayef reaffirmed that technology and sustainability are the cornerstones of Saudi Arabia’s industrial future. He emphasized ongoing investments in artificial intelligence, automation, and digital manufacturing, paired with the Kingdom’s adoption of the circular carbon economy. Technology and sustainability are not opposing forces, he said. They are complementary tools that will help us build a productive, low carbon, future ready industrial base.

Following his keynote address, the UNIDO panel Reshaping Global Value Chains: Investment Pathways for a New Trade Era featured the participation of industry ministers. During the session, Ministers discussed strategies to respond to global trade disruptions, the role of artificial intelligence in strengthening industrial resilience, and the importance of modernizing trade policy to better support youth, women, and small businesses. The panel also highlighted regional lessons from the Gulf, including the importance of early industrial investment, logistics development, and cross-border value chain integration.

The Minister closed by reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to continued collaboration with UNIDO and international partners. This conference is more than an exchange of ideas, he said. It is a call to action. Together, we can build a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable industrial future.