The UAE has adopted a comprehensive and integrated approach to develop the industrial sector, Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, noted. “This stems from the wise vision of its leadership, which emphasises the importance of building a diversified and sustainable knowledge-based economy in which the industrial sector plays a pivotal role led by qualified national cadres,” he said.

Sharing exclusive insights at the 18th General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the UAE Minister highlighted the UAE’s strategy to advance the industrial sector based on knowledge and innovation, adding that this is “very much aligned with UNIDO’s mandate”.

The UAE and UNIDO has forged a close working relationship, resulting in the launch of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, GMIS, a joint initiative between the UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry and UNIDO.

Al Mazrouei noted the UAE’s Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support efforts to build a sustainable and advanced industrial base. The strategy, he explained, aims to strengthen the country’s position as a global hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and contribute to a competitive national economy based on knowledge, innovation and future technological applications that integrate physical, digital and dynamic technologies.

The industrial sector accounts for 9 per cent of the UAE’s GDP

“This strategy embodies the government’s ambition to become a global model of how to proactively be addressing future challenges, and adapting the technologies and tools provided by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to serve society and achieve happiness and well-being for all citizens,” he explained.

“Another initiative,” Al Mazrouei continued, “is the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, launched in April 2016 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to strengthen the UAE and Dubai’s position as a leading hub for 3D printing technology. Under this plan, by 2030, 25 per cent of buildings in Dubai are expected to rely on this emerging technology during construction.”

The Ministry of Energy and Industry is currently reviewing a new strategy at the federal level to raise the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP and boost economic growth, he said. “The strategy aims to achieve sustainable development through a number of pillars, including supporting innovation, efforts to reduce carbon emissions, support for small and medium enterprises, adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, sustainable manufacturing, developing advanced skills, and establishing partnerships to integrate local businesses into global value chains in order to increase our export prospects,” he remarked.

Commenting on the industrial sector’s current contribution to the UAE economy, Al Mazrouei noted that the sector contribution to the UAE’s GDP is currently at nine per cent and is rising. “Industrial activity increased by 4.8 per cent during 2017 alone, so the industrial sector is certainly one of the main engines of our economic development and plays a pivotal role in boosting the country’s GDP,” he said

The steady growth witnessed over the past five years demonstrates the success of the state in establishing a strong manufacturing base and its contribution to economic diversification, he added.

Giving his outlook for the UAE’s industrial sector over the next five years, he said: “There is no doubt that the outlook for the industrial sector in the UAE is very bright indeed, especially considering the success of some of our national industrial companies in establishing themselves as major contributors to global value chains in a variety of advanced industrial sectors, such as aviation and defence, aluminium and other leading industries, in a very short space of time.

“In light of this success, and the efforts being made by our industrial companies to adopt the highest international standards and the latest technologies, we expect them to make further progress towards achieving our goal of making the UAE a pioneer in the application of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, not only at regional level but at the global level too.

“Add to this our other initiatives, such as improving the quality of education and training to prepare young Emiratis to lead industrial companies and institutions in the near future, as well as our efforts to enable Emirati women to play an important in our industrial development, and I have no doubt that the future of our industrial sector looks very promising, and the UAE will soon be among the world’s major industrialised nations.”