Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi)
Several ministers and high-level executives from around Abu Dhabi met at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Wednesday to announce the next edition of the Make It in the Emirates Forum, to take place in May of next year.
The forum, now in its fourth edition, has, over the years, become the emirates' foremost platform for exhibiting industrial opportunities in the growing industrial market in the UAE.
Next year’s event is set to be substantially larger, both in the size of the exhibition itself and in the number of products and investment opportunities on offer. For the first time, the forum is set to be held at ADNEC, substantially expanding its size and scope and capitalising on the huge growth in producers from a mere 300 in the first edition to over 2000 today.
Crucially, the revamped forum will include the AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) cluster, a landmark initiative that aims to expand the scope of industries being targeted by the government.
“The aim is to make the UAE one of the most competitive industrial sectors in the UAE,” Badr Al Olama, Director General at Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) told reporters.
“Today, the industrial sector is key to Abu Dhabi’s strategy, to increase the GDP and create new economic opportunities. Ultimately, we want to see the UAE industrial brand become known.”
Wednesday’s event was attended by a number of high profile officials, including Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
They both took a tour around the small pop-up instalment at ADNEC, meant as a preview for next year’s event, and spoke to representatives of businesses that had succeeded over time, including Julphar, an Emirati pharmaceutical manufacturer that now employs over 5000 people, and Standard Turf, the UAE's largest manufacturer & exporter of high-performance yarn & premium artificial grass.
Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Strategy (ADIS), launched in 2022, is an ambitious initiative aimed at transforming the emirate into a leading industrial and innovation hub. Backed by an investment of over Dh10 billion (approximately $2.7 billion), the strategy focuses on boosting Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector by more than doubling its contribution to the emirate’s GDP, with a target of reaching Dh172 billion ($46.8 billion) by 2031. It emphasises six key areas: chemicals, machinery, electronics, electrical power, food and agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.
The strategy involves various incentives and support mechanisms for businesses, including enhanced access to financing, advanced infrastructure, an upgraded regulatory framework, and accelerated adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. It aims to increase the emirate's export volume and strengthen its global competitiveness. By 2031, the strategy aims to create more than 13,600 new jobs and position the emirate as a leader in regional and global industry.