UAE Targets Advanced Technology Exports Worth $4b Annually

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announcing the national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi (WAM)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announcing the national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi (WAM)
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UAE Targets Advanced Technology Exports Worth $4b Annually

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announcing the national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi (WAM)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announcing the national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi (WAM)

The UAE launched on Wednesday the national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation in priority sectors.

This comes as part of the national strategy for industry and advanced technology, which seeks to enhance the sector’s global competitiveness and sustainability, accelerate the pace of technology in the sector, enable the national capacities, and empower technology entrepreneurs and technology emerging companies in the digital transformation journey.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, said: "We have launched a national program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation in the industrial and production sectors.”

“The program aims to develop 1,000 technology projects, and includes the establishment of national centers for industrial empowerment and aims to export advanced Emirati technological products at a value of 15 billion dirhams ($4 billion) annually,” he said.

"The employment of advanced technology in industries and projects is an essential pillar for developing our national economy in partnership with the private sector. The UAE represents a global center in the fields of research, development and innovation in future technology," Sheikh Mohammed affirmed.

"Through advanced technology, we see opportunities to achieve our national priorities and ambitions for the next fifty years. The program will make it possible for technology developers, entrepreneurs and emerging technology companies to experiment with technology in the UAE and launch from it for global transformational projects with a tangible impact," he added.

The program was launched during a special event in the capital Abu Dhabi.

The program is tailored to achieve a set of goals, primarily raising industrial sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product by 110 billion dirhams ($30 billion), enabling 15 billion dirhams ($4 billion) worth of advanced technology exports annually, investing 11 billion dirhams ($2.9 billion) in advanced technology, achieving 15 billion dirhams ($4 billion) annually of industrial productivity, in addition to nurturing Emirati talent across advanced technology projects within 10 years.

This program aims to launch 1,000 technological projects in several key productive sectors at the state level until 2031, in line with the national priorities of the UAE.

Some of these priorities are: building a flexible and competitive national economy based on knowledge and innovation, achieving sustainable development goals and climate neutrality, attaining self-sufficiency, raising productivity level in the national economy, enhancing the quality of life, and reinforcing the UAE’s status as a global hub for sciences and technology.

The program will be set in motion through the launch of five initiatives.



Egypt Launches Intensive Program to Drill 75 Oil Wells in Eastern Desert

A Zohr gas field platform in Egyptian waters. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A Zohr gas field platform in Egyptian waters. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Launches Intensive Program to Drill 75 Oil Wells in Eastern Desert

A Zohr gas field platform in Egyptian waters. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A Zohr gas field platform in Egyptian waters. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum announced the launch of an intensive drilling campaign in the Gulf of Gharib fields, located in the Eastern Desert, as part of its strategy to boost domestic oil production and reduce reliance on imports.

According to a statement on Saturday, the General Petroleum Company (GPC), a state-owned enterprise, has begun operating the first of three modern rigs—each with a capacity of 1,000 horsepower. The rigs are expected to significantly enhance drilling efficiency and reduce operational costs.

The ministry stated that GPC aims to drill 75 new oil wells over the next 12 months, with the goal of adding 7,500 barrels per day (bpd) to current output and raising total production from the Gharib fields to 9,000 bpd.

Mohamed Abdel Meguid, Chairman of GPC, noted in a report to the Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation that the new rigs offer faster drilling speeds, high operational efficiency, and greater mobility between sites. This, he said, would enable the company to implement its drilling plans at lower costs and higher efficiency.

The drilling campaign aligns with the ministry’s broader strategy to maximize the value of national resources, support state-owned companies, and enhance energy security through increased local production.

Separately, the ministry also announced three new oil and gas discoveries in the Western Desert, achieved by Khalda Petroleum Company in partnership with Apache. The discoveries are expected to yield approximately 12 million barrels of oil equivalent, with 4 million barrels recoverable.

Initial tests showed daily production rates of 2,750 barrels of oil and condensates, along with 20 million cubic feet of natural gas. The volume of associated gas is currently under evaluation.

These results reflect the positive impact of recent pricing reforms that incentivize gas development. Without these adjustments, the ministry said, gas production from Khalda could have declined to 380 million cubic feet per day. Instead, output is expected to rise to 500 million cubic feet.

In addition, Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi met with senior executives from BP to discuss ongoing investments and recent discoveries in the Mediterranean. The two sides pledged to accelerate development of the North King Mariut and Fayoum-5 discoveries and expand cooperation under their long-standing partnership.

Badawi stressed Egypt’s commitment to fostering a supportive investment climate in oil and gas, while also expanding renewable energy to enhance energy security and economic growth.