As global fragmentation and climate urgency reshape international trade and economic relationships, the GCC and wider MENA region stand at a critical crossroads for long-term economic growth. Moreover, achieving advances in productivity and developing green industrial sectors amid an accelerating global energy transition requires a fundamental move from parallel national diversification efforts toward greated regional complementarity where economic and strategic benefits exist. This session will explore how cross-border regional industrial policies can channel sustainable investment into green heavy industries, localized manufacturing and resilient food and energy supply chains that can contribute positively to job creation and equitable growth. It will also examine the role of targeted regional industrial policy in accelerating clean energy infrastructure and high-value manufacturing across the economies in the region.
By moving beyond isolated diversification strategies toward integrated regional frameworks, such as AIDSMO’s recent Integrated Industrial Strategy for the Arab Region, the discussion will highlight pathways for governments, private investors and policymakers to foster productivity growth, mitigate vulnerabilities in trade and drive shared macroeconomic stability across the region.
