Riyadh – November 2025
"Youth Day" at the 21st General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) spotlighted the Kingdom's leading role in shaping the future of global industry, during a high-level session titled "Igniting the Future: Supporting Youth Globally in Industry," which saw the global launch of UNIDO's Youth Framework, with the participation of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, who affirmed the pivotal role of youth in leading industrial transformation.

In his remarks, Alkhorayef stressed the Kingdom's long-term commitment to empowering youth within Vision 2030, noting that 60% of the Kingdom's population is under 35, making their empowerment a core part of building a new global industrial model. "Youth are not merely beneficiaries of change — they are the architects of the future of industry," he said.

The minister reviewed the strides the Kingdom has made in boosting youth participation in the industrial sector, pointing to the creation of quality jobs and notable progress in women's empowerment, which has reached 37% of the industrial workforce, in addition to developing youth capabilities to keep pace with modern manufacturing technologies over the past two years.

Alkhorayef also said the Kingdom is building an advanced industrial innovation ecosystem that includes labs, prototyping facilities and advanced platforms for testing emerging technologies, alongside strong technology transfer platforms, helping to turn ideas into innovative commercial ventures and supporting youth's role in leading industrial transformation.

He also highlighted youth-focused initiatives such as competitions addressing challenges faced by national factories, and specialized accelerators for small and medium enterprises in Industry 4.0, clean technologies and digital manufacturing, which strengthen the standing of Saudi youth as key players in shaping the future of global industry.

He concluded by affirming the Kingdom's commitment to working with UNIDO and international partners to expand opportunities for young people worldwide, saying: "Together we can ignite the spark of the future, and ensure every young man and woman has a real chance to shape it."