Industry at the heart of global solutions: Global summit opens in Riyadh

By R Anil Kumar

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 2025: Economic Development

Leaders from across the world are debating how industry can help tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges – from climate change and food insecurity to the need for fairer supply chains – at the Global Industry Summit, which opened on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Industrial development is critical to strengthening economies, fighting poverty, and creating jobs and prosperity,” declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message to the event, delivered by the senior UN official in Saudia Arabia, Mohamed El-Zarkani.

Lifting the burden of poverty

Delegates from governments, private sector and civil society have arrived in the Saudi capital for the week-long event at a delicate time for struggling economies: several wealthy countries have cut their development aid spending. The COP30 Climate Conference, which ended on Saturday, laid bare the scale of the climate crisis, which is an existential threat to some nations, particularly Small Island Developing States.

Mr. Guterres urged governments and businesses to join forces to lift these burdens by scaling up sustainable industrialisation (by adopting cleaner, resource-efficient technologies, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring that industrial development does not come at undue social or environmental cost), an important recommendation of the Pact for the Future, the UN’s blueprint for international cooperation, peace and development.

The summit serves as the 21st General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which is dedicated to promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development that reduces poverty, advances economic competitiveness, and supports environmental sustainability in developing countries.

The discussions at this year’s conference, UNIDO’s highest decision-making body, will focus on three main themes: how to reduce emissions and support renewable energy; ending hunger through agro-industrial innovation to improve food security; and sustainable supply chains that ensure trade benefits workers, communities, and the environment.

Time for a ‘New Global Fair Deal’

Addressing the delegates on Sunday,Gerd Müller, the Director-General of UNIDO, who was re-elected for a second four-year term, called for the developed world to do more to combat inequality: “The wealthy nations, the industrialized countries, the oil states, we must live up to our global responsibilities,” he said, pointedly asking why, 30 years after promising to spend 0.7 per cent of their annual budgets on overseas development aid, they have still not reached that figure.

It is time, continued Mr. Müller, for a “New Global Fair Deal,” in which developing countries have better access to the world finance system and – in a reference to recent US policies – zero-tariff access to markets.

Cuts are ‘nothing less than a death sentence’

On the other side of the world, in South Africa, the leaders of the foremost economies of the world are meeting at the annual G20 summit. Mr Müller appealed to them directly, to reverse the deep funding cuts of up to 40 per cent to UN aid agencies including the World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO).

“This is nothing less than a death sentence for millions of children, refugees and people living in the world’s crisis areas, who depend on humanitarian assistance,” warned the UNIDO chief.

What to look out for at GC21

The conference sets UNIDO’s direction for the next two years, which means that its outcomes will play a major role in shaping how industry supports sustainable development worldwide.

Over the coming days, the conference will move into detailed debates and negotiations. Delegates will consider resolutions, hear reports on UNIDO’s activities, and discuss new initiatives.

By the end of the week, GC21 is expected to adopt decisions that will guide UNIDO’s work for the next two years – decisions that could influence how industry contributes to building a greener, fairer, and more resilient world.

The conference also began preparations for elections to UNIDO’s Industrial Development Board and Programme and Budget Committee, which oversee the organisation’s work between sessions.