UN agency plans recovery push for Sudan industry after $58 billion war damage
August 15, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization has launched an initiative to help rehabilitate Sudan’s war-battered private sector, an industry official said on Saturday.
Sudan’s commercial and manufacturing infrastructure has faced catastrophic destruction and looting during the conflict. Ministry of Industry figures show roughly 1,800 industrial facilities have been damaged, including 650 factories ruined, with the Federation of Chambers of Industry estimating sector losses between $50 billion and $58 billion.
Abbas Ali El-Sayed, secretary-general of the federation, told Sudan Tribune the recovery scheme is being coordinated alongside the Ministry of Finance.
El-Sayed said industry representatives met UNIDO officials via video link to push for a pragmatic rehabilitation strategy that reflects the realities of the ground damage.
The scale of destruction exceeds the financing capabilities of Sudan’s domestic institutions and banking system, requiring direct partnerships with foreign investors, El-Sayed said.
He said Sudanese enterprises are prepared to work under transparent frameworks, utilizing UNIDO as an accredited independent assessor to structure local assets for joint ventures with investors providing reconstruction capital.
Such arrangements would require binding guarantees backed by the Sudanese government, the Central Bank of Sudan, and the United Nations, he said.
El-Sayed warned that crippling power shortages represent the primary obstacle to reviving industrial operations, noting that investors require stable electricity and foundational infrastructure before committing funds.
UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Germany plans to lead a mission of German and European investors to Sudan in September to explore direct partnerships and industrial rehabilitation projects.