Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
The UAE’s Operation 300bn is reshaping the country’s industrial landscape, driving a shift towards self-reliance, advanced technologies, and global competitiveness with a target to lift the industry’s GDP contribution to Dh300 billion by 2031.
E7 Group is positioning its own transformation as an example of that shift, evolving from a legacy printing press into a diversified industrial player.
“At E7 Group, we see ourselves as a case study of Operation 300bn in action,” Esteban Nadal, CEO of E7 Group, told Aletihad.
“Everything we do – from manufacturing secure IDs and SIM cards to developing advanced packaging and AI-powered logistics solutions – contributes to local value creation and supply chain resilience,” he explained.
Nadal highlighted that producing passports, SIM solutions, and pharmaceutical packaging within the UAE keeps critical value in the national economy and directly supports the government’s industrial goals.
E7 delivers secure passports, national ID solutions, SIM cards, tax stamps, banking cards, packaging and education solutions to more than 10 clients across Asia and the EMEA region, with particularly strong momentum in African markets, according to the CEO.
“We have also secured our first contract in the United States, a milestone that underlines the global competitiveness of Emirati-made industrial products. Our goal is to continue expanding this footprint, with exports becoming a key growth driver for the group,” he said.
AI-Powered Operations The company is also embedding Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies into its operations. AI-driven authentication and track-and-trace systems fight counterfeiting; robotics streamline packaging lines; and AI platforms optimise last-mile logistics while cutting emissions.
“We are proving that traditional industries can be reinvented with AI and automation, turning E7 into a model of smart manufacturing under Operation 300bn,” Nadal said.
Looking ahead, E7 sees opportunities to extend its expertise into the industries of the future identified in the UAE’s strategy, from digital health to biotech, sustainable energy, and even space.
Nadal pointed out that secure digital IDs and data protection are vital for digital health. Advanced materials and packaging innovations are increasingly relevant to biotech and sustainable energy. In space, precision manufacturing and secure systems are critical enablers.
“Our expertise in secure and advanced manufacturing gives us the foundation to be a partner of choice in the UAE’s future industries,” the CEO added.
Sustainability, he stressed, is integral to competitiveness. The company is introducing recyclable materials in packaging, cutting emissions in logistics, and digitising processes to reduce waste, alongside investing in cleaner production methods.
“Sustainability is not an add-on for E7, it is how we compete globally while helping the UAE meet its Net Zero 2050 targets,” he emphasised.
Developing Talent for Knowledge-Based JobsFor the CEO, the company’s reinvention is also about people and competitiveness. By creating skilled jobs, unlocking export markets, and accelerating innovation, E7 is showing how national champions can evolve in line with the UAE’s priorities.
In the past few years, the company’s transformation has steadily expanded employment opportunities, particularly in advanced manufacturing, design, and technology-driven roles. Today, E7 employs a significantly greater share of engineers, technologists, and specialists in AI, automation, and secure solutions.
This represents a clear shift from traditional skill sets towards higher-value, knowledge-based jobs, Nadal added.
The company also accelerated programmes to attract and develop Emirati talent, ensuring that the UAE’s workforce is equipped for the demands of Industry 4.0.
“It is not only about the number of jobs, but the quality and future-readiness of those roles, which has grown markedly compared to previous years,” he said.
“Our transformation shows how an Emirati industrial champion can evolve, creating jobs at home, exporting innovation abroad, and strengthening the UAE’s global competitiveness,” Nadal said.
