Realizing New Value Through the Expansion of the UAE’s Industrial Sector
The UAE has in recent years emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse, a move that will define the country's post-oil economic landscape. This progress results from the country's advanced physical and digital infrastructure as well as a young, growing talent pool equipped with STEM skills.
With this in mind, it is encouraging to see the UAE supporting more in-country value (ICV) programs in the manufacturing space. These programs promote collaboration amongst local industry players and facilitate local goods and services procurement. Such programs also take into consideration local job creation and the hiring and training of local talent as the foundation for more sustainable development.
Scaling local capabilities is a cornerstone of the Operation 300bn national industrial strategy. This plan aims to swell the manufacturing sector's share of the national GDP to AED300 billion by 2031. The government also launched in 2021 the "Make it in the Emirates" campaign to encourage local and international investors, innovators, and developers to explore the facilities and incentives offered within the country's industrial sector.
Beyond its economic impact, boosting the local manufacturing sector positively impacts the environment. Eliminating the processes associated with the transport and storage of imported products, for example, supports the UAE's commitment to cutting carbon emissions.
The UAE wire and cable market is a testament to this value chain in action. Ducab has supplied 90% of the wire and cable requirements for Expo 2020 Dubai, for instance. This not only presented the Expo 2020 team with tailored, quick-delivery, turnkey solutions, but benefitted auxiliary material suppliers and contractors in the UAE. Today, we work with leading partners across the entire UAE industrial value chain—such as EGA, KIZAD, and Borouge—to maximize the potential of local resources, while ensuring those benefits are shared with the UAE society.
As the UAE moves into the next 50 years, fostering a robust, increasingly self-reliant UAE manufacturing sector will not only create value locally, but enable the world to benefit from UAE industrial innovation and sustainable energy solutions
