On 25 November 2025 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the 21st Session of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Conference (UNIDO GC21), a high-level special event “Investment Dialogue: Mobilizing Gulf Capital for Sustainable Industrial Growth in Ukraine” took place. The event was organized by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Andrii Teliupa, UNIDO leadership, representatives of investment companies from the Gulf countries, the State Institution “UkraineInvest”, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and top management of leading Ukrainian companies.

Presenting Ukraine’s Industrial Strategy, the delegation outlined the country’s course toward structural economic transformation. The priority is shifting from a raw-material model to the development of processing industries and integration into global value chains. This includes creating full-cycle production facilities that process resources domestically and export high-value products to the EU and the Middle East. This transformation opens a substantial investment market estimated at USD 524 billion over the next decade, with the greatest opportunities in energy modernization (USD 68 billion), machinery and equipment manufacturing (USD 18 billion), advanced agri-processing (USD 12 billion), and modern logistics.

UNIDO Deputy Director General Yuko Yasunaga presented UNIDO’s flagship initiative – “Green Industrial Recovery of Ukraine through Technology Transfer and Creation of New Enterprises in Partnership with Private Companies of Japan.” The initiative provides for technology transfers and the establishment of new production capacities with Japanese private-sector partners. Priority areas are aligned with Japan’s technological strengths: agribusiness and value chains, digital transformation and AI, industrial decarbonization, production of green hydrogen and ammonia, as well as solutions in telemedicine and the circular economy.

“We are offering investors not just recovery projects, but long-term strategic partnerships to build a new, competitive industrial base. Our focus is on integrating into global supply chains, developing a green economy and digitizing production. Ukraine should become an industrial hub connecting European markets with capital and technology from the East. This is a sound economic strategy that will strengthen strategic autonomy and create new jobs,” said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Andrii Teliupa.

Head of the UNIDO Regional Bureau in Europe and Central Asia Solomiya Omelian emphasized that this initiative is part of UNIDO’s wider Programme for Green Industrial Recovery of Ukraine (2024–2028). The Programme is a key component of UNIDO’s work in Ukraine and focuses on creating new opportunities for people, advancing the green economy and supporting businesses by reducing risks and attracting investment.

UkraineInvest Executive Director Maryna Khlystun presented the portfolio of prepared investment projects and government incentives available to foreign investors.

Representatives of Ukrainian businesses confirmed their readiness to implement joint projects, highlighting opportunities in food security, extraction of critical materials, renewable energy and IT.

During the discussion, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hennadii Chyzhykov underlined the potential for creating new trade corridors between Ukraine and Gulf countries, which would deepen B2B partnerships and strengthen economic integration.

For reference 

The trilateral initiative “Green Industrial Recovery of Ukraine through Technology Transfer and Creation of New Enterprises in Partnership with Private Companies of Japan” is implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. The project is financed by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) with USD 188 million.

Its goal is to transfer more than 40 advanced Japanese technologies to Ukrainian enterprises and provide skills development for over 30,000 local specialists in priority industrial sectors.