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UAE Boosts ‘Self-Sufficiency’ Through Industrial Localization

UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber at the Make it in the Emirates Forum (WAM)
UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber at the Make it in the Emirates Forum (WAM)
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UAE Boosts ‘Self-Sufficiency’ Through Industrial Localization

UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber at the Make it in the Emirates Forum (WAM)
UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber at the Make it in the Emirates Forum (WAM)

UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber said that the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical challenges disrupted supply chains and affected the global economy, "an experience from which we extracted many lessons."

The Minister explained that one of the most important lessons is that "regardless of global economic conditions, enhancing self-sufficiency and resilience in vital sectors such as food, healthcare, and the sectors critical to ensuring business continuity and economic growth, is critical."

Speaking at the "Make it in the Emirates" Forum, Jaber explained that the Ministry focused on a set of strategic axes, aiming to create an attractive business environment for local and international industrial investors, support the growth of national industries, enhance their competitiveness and empower innovation and the adoption of advanced technologies.

It also aims to strengthen the UAE's position as a global destination for industries of the future.

The Ministry encourages financial institutions to offer competitive financing and administrative services based on quality, efficiency, and transparency as well as contribute to supporting the development of laws and legislations that help support and protect the national products.

"Our objective is to safeguard our national progress, leverage the legislative system, attract investments to our industrial sector, support local manufacturing, and create growth opportunities, with an ultimate goal of empowering our national economy and increasing the industrial sector's contribution to our GDP to more than AED300 billion by 2031," Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted Jaber as saying.

The Minister indicated that a critical enabler of the work has been to research and identify priority sectors to achieve goals, which include food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, heavy industries such as aluminum and iron, defense, electrical equipment and appliances, and future industries like space and clean energy such as hydrogen.

He added that last May witnessed the launch of an Industrial Partnership between the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan.

The partnership leverages the competitive advantages of each of these nations to promote industry growth and achieve sustainable economic development.

"Most importantly, the partnership will provide new export opportunities for manufacturers and focuses on five promising industrial sectors, including food and agriculture, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, minerals, and petrochemicals."

The Minister announced that large national companies allocated nearly AED110 billion potential purchase agreements for local manufacturers.

The forum's sessions and exhibition will provide details of these products and industrial investment opportunities, and the unprecedented move will create opportunities for the growth of the national industrial sector, adding at least AED6 billion annually to the GDP.

Meanwhile, ADNOC announced plans worth AED70 billion for products that can be manufactured locally.

During the Forum, ADNOC signed agreements for local manufacturing opportunities worth AED21 billion with UAE and international companies.

ADNOC aims to purchase these products between 2022 and 2030 and invites the private sector to take advantage of this pipeline and invest in the UAE's manufacturing sector to produce the products locally.

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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the organization will take an active role at COP16, the UN conference on combating desertification, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed confidence that the conference—the first of its kind in the Middle East—would produce significant outcomes.

Elwaer’s comments came during a roundtable organized by FAO’s regional office in Cairo, attended by a select group of media representatives. The session focused on FAO’s participation in the upcoming conference and the importance of the Rio Trio —the integrated framework of the three major UN conventions addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification.

Fida Haddad, FAO’s Program Officer for Land Rehabilitation and Climate Change, highlighted the interconnectedness of the three conventions and noted that COP16 would place a strong emphasis on land and water rehabilitation and their sustainable management.

Haddad pointed out that approximately 90% of the Middle East is affected by arid conditions. Despite this, local communities and Arab governments have made notable progress in addressing desertification and drought. She also announced that, for the first time, FAO has successfully placed food systems on the COP16 agenda, enabling discussions on how land rehabilitation can enhance food supply chains and systems.

Elwaer underscored FAO’s central role in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): eradicating hunger. He emphasized that FAO actively engages in the UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, which collectively contribute to this mission.

FAO’s focus, according to Elwaer, is on transforming food and agricultural systems to become more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable, aiming for better production, nutrition, and livelihoods. He highlighted the organization’s success in integrating these priorities into the agendas of the three conventions and collaborating with host countries on joint initiatives.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 is particularly significant for the region, which faces pressing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and food insecurity. The conference presents an opportunity for Middle Eastern nations to highlight these issues, explore solutions, and ensure their inclusion in global environmental discussions, not only at this event but in future COP sessions, he underlined.

Elwaer emphasized the growing global attention on desertification, as it is now impacting regions previously unaffected, such as southern Europe and parts of Latin America. These areas are witnessing alarming declines in arable land and forests, prompting them to seek lessons from the Arab world, which has developed resilience strategies to combat desertification over centuries.

FAO will have a strong presence at COP16, with two dedicated pavilions—one in the Blue Zone for official delegations and another in the Green Zone to engage civil society and conference participants, he said.

He added that in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the UN, FAO will lead coordination on Food Day and Governance Day, scheduled for December 5 and 6, respectively. The organization will also participate in other specialized sessions throughout the conference.