Defense industries … a major engine for economic growth in the Emirates

Abu Dhabi, February 22/ WAM/ The defense industries sector in the UAE, thanks to its strategic investments and international partnerships, turned into a major engine to provide jobs, transport technology, and develop advanced industries, devoting its position one of the most prominent pillars of the growth of the national economy and enhancing its global competitiveness.
Defense industries play a pivotal role in supporting the GDP of the UAE, by increasing defense exports, reducing dependence on imports, providing qualitative job opportunities for national competencies, developing an advanced research and technical environment in partnership with universities and academic institutions, as well as their great role in attracting foreign investments Direct.
Defense industries in the country have witnessed an accelerated development in recent years, driven by supportive government policies and economic programs, aimed at enhancing local production and developing its competitiveness in global markets, which contributed to the establishment of advanced industrial systems covering the areas of military manufacturing, systems engineering, space industries, and cyber technology .
Gomium Patio, director of the “Naval Group” in the Emirates, stressed that the UAE’s strategy in localizing defense industries has contributed to providing promising economic opportunities and attracting international companies to invest in the country, and support technological partnerships that enhance local production and raise the value of Emirati defense exports.
Defense industries also contributed to providing thousands of specific functions in the fields of engineering, technology and manufacturing, which led to the raising of the level of employment in the advanced technical sectors, where Emirati companies are working to train and qualify national cadres, which enhances the competitiveness of the labor market, and supports the UAE aspirations to build Cognitive economy is based on innovation.
In this context, Hyunbin Hong, Vice President of the South Korean Lig Nex1 business company, explained that the company is not limited to exporting its products to the UAE, but rather focuses on supporting job localization and transporting technology in a way that enhances the UAE industrial capabilities in the long run.
The Balance Council played a pivotal role in enhancing the economic impact of defense industries by managing the economic balance program, which contributed to the development of 12 industrial and economic sectors, and the establishment of more than 65 companies and a project, which led to the enhancement of local production, the increase in the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product, and the attraction Foreign investments.
The “Industrial Balance Complex” contributed to providing an integrated environment for defense industries through advanced infrastructure, which helped companies expand their operations inside the country and attract more direct investments.
The exports of Emirati defense products witnessed great growth, as the country became one of the main exporters of advanced defense technology, which reflected positively on the national economy, and increased the value of non -oil exports.
The Edge Group is a prominent model of economic growth in defense industries after the value of the group’s international orders increased from $ 18.5 million in 2019 to more than 2.1 billion dollars in 2024, which reflects the UAE’s ability to compete globally in this field.
In turn, Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company has strengthened the UAE’s position, a regional center for the manufacture of warships and commercial ships, which led to an increase in foreign direct investments in the sector and the raising of the contribution of marine industries to the national economy.

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