Prime Highlights :
- UAE’s industrial sector grew 70% since 2021, reaching AED200 billion in economic contribution.
- Dr Al Jaber declared freedom of international navigation non-negotiable, calling maritime security a shared global responsibility.
Key Facts :
- Make it in the Emirates is the UAE’s flagship industrial platform, held annually to drive localisation and industrial investment.
- The UAE’s National In-Country Value Program channels government and corporate spending into local industrial development and talent.
Background :
The UAE’s industrial sector has contributed AED200 billion ($54.4 billion) to the national economy, marking a 70% rise since 2021, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber announced at the fifth and largest edition of the Make it in the Emirates forum in Abu Dhabi.
Dr Al Jaber revealed AED180 billion in new industrial procurement opportunities aimed at localising over 5,000 products across sectors critical to economic, food, and healthcare security. Industrial exports also climbed to AED262 billion ($71 billion), including AED92 billion in advanced industrial exports.
One of the factors that the minister highlighted as critical was the National In-Country Value Program as a factor that turns the spending into investments within the factory sector. Industry, according to the minister, is not a matter of choice, but a necessity because it helps protect the economy from external shocks.
In addition, Dr Al Jaber touched on the issue of freedom of navigation, emphasizing that the security of international corridors was of paramount importance, as any threat to the security of international shipping posed a threat to the global economy. He emphasized that freedom of navigation of the global economy was an absolute necessity.
Commenting on the withdrawal of the UAE from OPEC and OPEC+, Dr Al Jaber emphasized that this step was a strategic decision for the future of the country because now it has an opportunity to invest and create value independently.
The last important aspect covered by the minister is AI-driven transformation in the industrial sector; the minister said that AI would be used as an industrial brain.
