UNIDO Panel Focuses on Women's Role in Industrial Development

• During the Global Industry Summit in Riyadh, the (UNIDO) General Conference conducted its third day Summit activities 
• The high-level panel discussion centered on empowering women, transforming industry and providing leadership  

Day three of UNIDO’s 21st General Conference in Riyadh centered on a strongly attended panel, “Leadership for a Sustainable Future: Women’s Role in Industry.”  

The discussion highlighted how women have a positive impact on the development of the industrial economy and how they will continue to do so into the future. 

To commemorate International Women’s Day, Saudi Arabia introduced its National Strategy to Enhance Women in Industrial Sector.  

This strategy was outlined and published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a part of its initiatives to develop a more competitive and diverse and progressive industrial eco-system where women are able to play a vital role in transforming that eco-system. 

At Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Alahmari’s session on women in industrial sectors and leadership roles, he discussed how Saudi Arabia has focused on including women in every aspect of industry, including in leadership roles.  

Dr. Abdullah referenced that by empowering women within industrial sectors, innovations and sustained industrial development can be achieved. 

Based on a statement made by Dr. Abdullah, more than 100,000 working women are currently employed in over 12,000 licensed factories across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  

This number is expected to increase as industrial capacity expands and more factories become available to provide jobs for working women. 

Ongoing efforts to modernise factories and enhance the infrastructure supporting the industrial sector have included the creation of supportive work environments so that women who possess skills can be integrated into the workforce as well as numerous other partnerships to support women's advancement collaboratively with local, national, regional and international organisations focused on supporting women's advancement. 

Empowering women to become leaders is one of the primary ways to achieve sustainable industrial development.  

Moreover, investing in women's leadership, skills training, business ownership, and entrepreneurship will create stronger and more adaptable economies for countries, allowing them to achieve their national economic development goals. 

The session also featured presentations from global leaders in the industry as well as experts who provided various global perspectives and best practice examples for increasing the number of women in future industrial roles.