The government dialogue with the private sector adopts recommendations for timetable programs to enhance the UAE’s competitiveness in vital economic sectors

Abu Dhabi, 4 November / WAM / In a step that reflects the UAE government’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the private sector, the annual meetings of the UAE government 2025 witnessed the holding of the “Government Dialogue with the Private Sector”, with the participation of an elite group of senior leaders, including ministers, diplomats and CEOs, within sessions with specialized agendas aimed at formulating a more integrated and innovative economic future.

The dialogue, which is being held for the first time within the annual government meetings, is a qualitative step to consolidate the partnership between the government and the private sector, and formulate practical solutions that support the sustainable development process in the UAE.

This dialogue came within the framework of a strategic national direction to link the private sector’s expertise, innovations, networks and knowledge with the enabling environment, infrastructure, digital and legislative environment provided by the UAE government at competitive global levels, in order to ensure the alignment of visions and unify efforts towards achieving the goals of the UAE Vision 2031.

This direct interaction between government and business leaders is a practical embodiment of the state’s philosophy of considering the private sector as a strategic partner in policy formulation.

His Excellency Badr Jaafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, said: Organizing government dialogue with the private sector for the first time within the annual meetings of the UAE government for the year 2025 gives this dialogue importance and strategic momentum, and translates the vision of the wise leadership in establishing an approach to effective and fruitful dialogue between the two sectors, in a way that enhances the competitiveness of the national economy and stimulates sustainable growth in vital sectors that are at the top of national priorities.

He added: The UAE has succeeded, through the vision of its leadership, in establishing a strong and exemplary partnership between the government and private sectors, and this dialogue, with its qualitative outcomes, today forms a basic foundation for the continued development of this partnership, and finding new channels to work together to innovate creative solutions and unify efforts to accelerate the pace of achievement in the vital sectors that constitute the foundation of the future, especially in light of the accelerating global changes that require institutional flexibility and a renewed economic vision.

The leaders participating in the meetings came up with joint practical recommendations to accelerate the pace of growth and development in various sectors, as direct interaction between the two sectors will contribute to aligning business sector visions with government incentives and policies to launch joint ambitious initiatives that contribute to advancing the UAE’s march towards the future.

The main agenda of the dialogue included studying global and local trends that affect growth and competitiveness, identifying the basic options for discussion and priorities for accelerating progress towards achieving the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision, and identifying areas that require immediate coordination between joint efforts.

The dialogue was designed with mechanisms that guarantee effective results, the development of practical, implementable initiatives, and the development of annual and semi-annual follow-up plans, while setting actual steps to ensure implementation on the ground.

The government dialogue with the private sector reflects the UAE’s commitment to strengthening its position as one of the most dynamic and competitive business centers in the world, as the country continues to consolidate the strategic partnership between the two sectors, based on its belief that building the future, in an era of rapid transformation and great global competition, requires a deeper partnership between the government and the private sector, based on innovation, boldness, and integration of visions and policies.

Through this dialogue, the UAE is establishing a unique model in formulating economic policies, where market visions converge with the enabling factors provided by the government, to produce joint incentives that push the inspiring development process towards the future, and enhance the country’s readiness to achieve qualitative leaps in sustainable development and global leadership.

The dialogue addressed 4 main axes that represent the pillars of economic growth and national transformation, within four main sessions.

The leaders participating in the “Expanding the Scope of Investments” session discussed mechanisms for expanding the volume and speed of the flow of private capital towards small and medium enterprises and promising sectors, in the presence of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Media in Ajman, Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Department of Municipality and Planning in Ajman, His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and His Excellency Jassim Buataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Finance in Abu Dhabi. His Excellency Ibrahim Obaid Al Zaabi, Assistant Governor for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability at the Central Bank, Hamad Abdullah Al Hammadi, Group Executive Vice President at ADQ, Dimitrios Dosis, Regional President for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa at MasterCard, a number of regional CEOs of major international companies, and an elite group of private sector leaders.

The participants discussed opportunities to expand lending to small and medium enterprises, stressing that although small and medium enterprises constitute 95% of companies in the UAE and provide 86% of jobs in the private sector, they still suffer from limited financing. The share of loans to small and medium enterprises until mid-2024 amounted to only 9.5% of the total commercial and industrial loans.

Participants set a challenge to significantly expand the SME loan portfolio to stimulate innovation.

The “Trade Growth and Supply Chains” session discussed enhancing non-oil trade, consolidating supply chains, and mechanisms for increasing the benefit from Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) to ensure the continuity of growth, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Kayed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Ras Al Khaimah, His Excellency Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, His Excellency Ahmed Jassim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, and His Excellency Hamad Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Ras Al Khaimah. Department of Economic Development in Sharjah, His Excellency Engineer Mohammed Obaid bin Majid Al Alili, Director of the Department of Industry and Economy in Fujairah, Abdul Nasser bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, Yousef Ali, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of Lulu Group, and an elite group of private sector leaders.

Participants in the session pointed out that the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade continues to achieve record numbers, and to maintain this path, some concepts such as e-commerce, standardization of data, logistics supported by artificial intelligence, and single window systems are included among national policy priorities.

The participants discussed the challenge of creating a unified system to apply seamless standards and reduce obstacles resulting from different standards between countries, testing and documentation requirements, and possible ways of participating in building the “digital network” for trade, to link government systems, supply chains, and comprehensive economic partnership agreement partners to ensure enhanced growth.

The session on accelerating the adoption of future technologies discussed ways to enhance the path for innovative ideas and prototypes to reach commercial contracts through initiatives led by the private sector, in a way that enhances the UAE’s ambition in the advanced technology sector, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Space Agency, Secretary General of the Supreme Space Council, Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah, His Excellency Malik Al Malik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TECOM Group, and His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. His Excellency Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Science and Advanced Technology, Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa Region at Amazon, Anthony Nakash, Managing Director of the Middle East and North Africa Region at Google, and an elite group of leaders of private sector companies specializing in advanced technologies.

The leaders stressed that government policies focused on raising national productivity through the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation.

Participants pointed out that the challenge today is that production levels vary greatly within different sectors at the global level. In the manufacturing sector, for example, the productivity of leading companies is approximately 5.4 times the productivity of other companies, which indicates that the gains of progress do not spread automatically, but rather that research, development, and experimentation in major companies represent critical factors for enhancing these gains. In this context, the leaders discussed ways to enhance the experimentation environment so that all companies in the UAE can safely conduct research and testing operations to achieve tangible productivity gains.

The “Impact Investments” session dealt with attracting and directing private capital towards national priorities with a societal dimension, as participants stressed the importance of adopting an integrated and flexible national framework for impact investing in the UAE, in the presence of Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahhak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mawarid Holding Company, His Excellency Saeed Al Eter, Assistant Secretary-General of the “Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives” Foundation, and Shaista Asif, CEO of the Group. Pure Health, Talal Al Dhiyebi, CEO of Aldar Properties, and an elite group of leaders from private sector companies.

Participants pointed out that the value of investments with a global impact reached $102.4 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $292.8 billion by 2030. In the UAE, this field is witnessing remarkable growth in several sectors, for example, environmental, social and institutional sustainability bonds, as the UAE ranks third among emerging markets in the first quarter of 2025, which constitutes a strong basis for financing investments that can achieve economic growth and social benefits.

The interlocutors discussed the challenge of investing in global momentum and pioneering local efforts to achieve the UAE’s leadership in the field of creating a framework for investments with a societal impact in the future, and how to build a national investment structure that directs private capital towards investing in national priorities with a societal impact, and achieving tangible investment and social returns.

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