RIYADH: Riyadh International Industry Week 2025, which was held from May 12-15 at the International Convention and Exhibition Center, hosted specialized dialogue sessions to address future transformations in the industrial sector.
Boasting distinguished speakers and experts, the event explored the future of smart industry and looked at ways to accelerate the shift toward advanced and sustainable manufacturing.
The forum on Wednesday focused on the theme “Industrial Solutions Providers,” with a session highlighting the importance of accelerating investment in the construction and building materials sector.
The session was led by Amjad Al-Suwaidan, project manager at Riyadh Exhibitions Company, and included Khalid Al-Hajri, vice president of the National Industrial Development Center, who said that the Kingdom was undergoing a qualitative transformation in its industrial infrastructure, and that investment in knowledge and technology was fundamental to sustaining the transformation.
The broad panel session “From Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0” discussed the transition from automation and digitization to human-centric manufacturing powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. The session was moderated by James Morgan, principal consultant at James Morgan Associates, with participation from Sami Sarhan, chief adviser at the National Industrial Development Center, who stressed the nation’s direction toward enhancing supply chain resilience and deepening local content.
In an advanced case study, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology highlighted its pivotal role in enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution through research, development, and technology transfer.
Abdulrahman Khougair, an expert on the subject, presented on the university’s initiatives in supporting emerging industrial experiments.
Another key session, called “The Next Generation of Industrial Digitization and Automation Solutions,” featured Bader Al-Khalifa, country manager at Yokogawa Saudi Arabia, who presented on petrochemical plant automation.
Benroy Fernandes, principal solution consultant at Azentio Software, gave a comprehensive presentation on integrating AI technologies into ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems and transforming them into tools for real-time decision-making in industrial environments.
A side panel, “Sustainable Manufacturing and the Future of Industrial Pollution,” featured James Morgan and Mohammed Al-Surf, director of carbon development at Tilad Group, who discussed the need to adopt low-emission production technologies and keep pace with global environmental regulations and clean development policies.
The sessions concluded with the panel “Smart Logistics and Integrated Supply Chains,” which addressed the significant transformations in the logistics and transportation sector amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Discussions focused on the increasing use of AI, predictive analytics, and automated systems in supply chain management.
Dr. Joseph Wang, executive vice president at BlueSword Intelligent Technology, presented the leading models for building AI-powered distribution centers.
The industry week also featured a series of specialized workshops covering key strategic topics such as the Industrial Competitiveness Program, Future Factories, and industrial linkages.
These workshops aimed to expand knowledge, stimulate investment, and support the adoption of digital solutions aligned with the goals of the National Industrial Strategy.
The event, which concluded on Thursday, brought together the pioneers of industry under one roof, and opened the floor for dialogue to help shape a promising industrial future for Saudi Arabia.
