Agreements between Abu Dhabi and Italy to promote entrepreneurship, industry and agricultural technology

ABU DHABI, 30 JANUARY / WAM / The Abu Dhabi economic delegation, headed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, concluded a successful visit to Italy that witnessed the signing of agreements to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurship, advanced industry and agricultural technologies.

The Abu Dhabi Economic Delegation held a series of bilateral meetings with senior government officials, business leaders, companies, family offices and investors in Italy to explore new opportunities for cooperation and investment.

Discussions focused on the emirate’s role as a global platform that enables international capital to explore, access and expand opportunities.

The delegation also reviewed the advantages of the integrated business system in Abu Dhabi and its compatibility with the strength of cultural, industrial and creative activities in Italy, and Abu Dhabi’s position as an ideal base for long-term expansion, based on the emirate’s role in attracting talent, innovators and entrepreneurs.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Milan, which was organized by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office in cooperation with the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, witnessed keynote speeches by a number of senior officials and decision makers, including His Excellency Ahmed Jassim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Saboosi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Italy, and Alves Bevi, President of Assolombarda, the largest entrepreneurship federation in Italy, in addition to discussion sessions and presentations that highlighted investment opportunities in Various sectors.

His Excellency Ahmed Jassim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development, expressed his happiness with the positive results of the visit to Italy, which included commitments to accelerate the growth of priority sectors and areas for both sides, noting that the discussions during the visit focused on providing appropriate means to enhance and expand the scope of cooperation and partnerships by taking advantage of the opportunities available in Abu Dhabi, Italy and other economies.

His Excellency added that Falcon Economy leads efforts to build the economy of the future, with the support of advanced policies, thoughtful decision-making, and integration between entities and institutions in the public and private sectors, noting that international partnerships aim to enhance the role of strategic partners, by emphasizing clarity, reliability, and access to capital, enabling them to grow and expand in the economies of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, which are characterized by high growth rates.

During the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Milan, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office signed two agreements with Assolombarda and Confagricultura, the federation of Italian companies and institutions working in the agricultural sector, to enhance trade exchange and industrial cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Milan.

These two agreements are part of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office’s strategy to strengthen global economic ties through partnerships in specialized fields that contribute to opening growth opportunities in priority sectors.

The collaboration with Assolombarda focuses on advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital transformation, while the agreement with Convagriculturaltura supports innovation and flexibility in the AGWA value chain.

These two partnerships confirm the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s commitment to expanding global markets and building long-term cooperation relationships with institutions in leading European economies.

Abu Dhabi Customs signed a cooperation document with Italian Customs to enhance trade facilitation solutions through safe, efficient and transparent customs operations to support economic growth and enhance trade and investment relations.

The document aims to support innovation and employ advanced technological solutions, in addition to cooperating in implementing a reliable digital trade corridor project to facilitate the movement of goods and the exchange of customs data in an immediate and secure manner, thus enhancing the efficiency of intra-regional trade and competitiveness.

During the visit, Abu Dhabi Customs also reviewed the customs clearance system and advanced customs services supported by artificial intelligence.

Hub71, the global technology ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, reviewed its initiatives to support the growth of promising emerging companies by linking them with appropriate investors, the thriving Abu Dhabi market and partners, to facilitate their obtaining investments and completing deals.

The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry strengthened private sector participation by organizing two roundtable sessions that brought together business leaders and investors from 18 major Italian family businesses, companies and institutional investors, in addition to bilateral meetings with the most prominent Italian companies.

Discussions with leading institutions Enel, Sapim, Huarath Lifestyle, Caracol, Assolombarda, Antique Assin Forum, and Altagama Foundation focused on ways to take advantage of growth opportunities in Abu Dhabi, review the elements of a supportive business environment in the emirate, empower sectors, ease of doing business, develop companies, and expand in the long term.

The Abu Dhabi Economic Delegation included more than 100 senior representatives of the emirate’s leading government and private entities and institutions, including Abu Dhabi Global “ADGM”, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Abu Dhabi Customs, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Hub 71.

The visit to Italy is part of a series of delegations led by the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi to major global capitals and international financial centers, with the aim of expanding the scope of interaction with leading economies around the world, exploring new horizons to enhance cooperation, and finding innovative solutions to current and future challenges.

The Department of Economic Development works to enable investments by providing practical insights, seamless registration services, and reliable regulatory frameworks to support sustainable development.

These efforts focus on accelerating economic transformation through specialized economic parks, including the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry Park – SAVI, the Food and Water Abundance Development Park – AGWA, the Health, Medicine and Fitness for Sustainable Living Park – HELM, and the Financial Technologies, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets Park – FIDA.

These four complexes, which were launched in 2023, 2024 and 2025, aim to contribute about 284 billion dirhams ($77.4 billion) to the gross domestic product, provide more than 130,000 jobs, and attract investments exceeding 217 billion dirhams ($59 billion) by 2045.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related