ABU DHABI — The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) recently organised a roundtable event in collaboration with Tawazun Industrial Park at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2023).
The meeting was attended by representatives from government entities, industrial companies, and global defence sector experts to discuss the diversity of defence and space industries in the UAE and the existing cooperation between national agencies.
During the event, Omar Al Suwaidi, the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, highlighted the UAE’s competitive advantages for investors through the Make in the Emirates initiative.
He also discussed several enablers, incentives, and initiatives to support the growth of industrial companies, including the National In-Country Value programme, the Technology Transformation Programme, and the Industrial Technological Transformation Index.
Al Suwaidi also mentioned the growth opportunities in the UAE’s defence sector, with defence spending set to increase to over $5 billion annually over the next five years.
“In line with the UAE’s presidency of COP28, national industrial champions have an opportunity to highlight how industry can help the nation to achieve its net zero commitment by 2050 through the adoption of sustainable solutions and by driving the technological transformation of the industrial sector,” he stated.
Faiz Al Nahdi, the CEO and Managing Director of Tawazun Industrial Park, stated that the roundtable was an excellent opportunity to bring together various government entities, including MOIAT, DED/IDB, ADIO, and EDB, along with defence contractors.
Al Nahdi also presented several initiatives and offerings of Tawazun Industrial Park to attract local and foreign investment to the country, highlighting the UAE’s strategic initiatives, benefits, and trade agreements, which make it one of the preferred investment destinations.
Representatives from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Yahsat, Calidus, Al Rumaithy Establishment, Airbus Defence and Space, Airbus Helicopters, Watco, CAE Defence and Security, MBDA, Lockheed Martin, and KPMG were also present at the roundtable.
The event focused on the advancement of the industrial sector, with Make in the Emirates at its core, and its role in supporting the UAE’s net-zero commitment by 2050 through sustainable solutions and driving technological transformation in the industrial sector.
