Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to support UNIDO

Saudi Arabia is committed to supporting the UN Industrial Development Organization in achieving its goals, according to the minister of industry and mineral resources.

During his engagement at the General Conference of UNIDO held in Vienna, Austria, Bandar Alkhorayef affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting UNIDO, as reported by El-Ekhbariya.

This assurance reflects the Kingdom’s belief in UNIDO’s importance and global standing, acknowledging its pivotal role in supporting industrial development plans.

This aligns with the region’s aspirations in the field of industrial development, securing global supply chains, and becoming a partner for various countries in manufacturing, exporting, transportation, and logistical services.

Alkhorayef highlighted the Kingdom’s recent successes in the mining sector, starting with the discovery of vast natural resources estimated at around SR5 trillion ($1.35 trillion), including gold, silver, copper, zinc, phosphate, bauxite, and other industrial minerals.

These successes also involve strategic plans for exploiting these resources, issuing a mining investment system to provide a suitable environment for mining companies, and encouraging investment in this sector.

The minister explained that Saudi Arabia, through its membership in UNIDO, has worked to enhance collaborative efforts and increase cooperation on issues of global concern, such as sustainable energy, carbon removal in industry, and circular economy.

Saudi Arabia is determined to develop this collaboration in line with the goals outlined in Vision 2030 and related strategies.

In alignment with the region’s recognition of the wealth inherent in the capabilities of its citizens, efforts have been made to develop and nurture talents and human resources.

This includes the launch of the Crown Prince’s Human Capability Development Program, a key initiative under Vision 2030 aimed at enhancing the national and global competitiveness of human capabilities, enabling citizens to learn and continuously develop.

Furthermore, the establishment of the Research and Development and Innovation Authority aims to position the Kingdom as a global leader in innovation, fostering a progressive culture and developing highly skilled researchers to transform testing results into economically valuable industrial products for society.

Alkhorayef added that reforms empowering women have contributed to qualitative leaps reflected in several local and global indicators.

Women now constitute 34 percent of the workforce in the Kingdom, and the industrial sector has witnessed a 93 percent increase in women’s participation over the past three years.