Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry: 70% growth due to the industry’s contribution to the domestic product and the provision of thousands of quality jobs for citizens
Abu Dhabi, June 9 / WAM / The “Manufacturers” Exhibition exceeded the target announced during the “Make in the Emirates 2023” initiative a full year ahead of its schedule, by providing more than 5,200 job opportunities for citizens in the industrial and advanced technology sectors within less than three years, according to what His Excellency Hassan Jassim Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, confirmed in special statements to the Emirates News Agency “WAM” on the sidelines of the activities of the second day of the 2026 edition of the exhibition. This achievement reflects the success of the UAE national approach in aligning industrial development with human capital development.
Hassan Al Nowais stressed that this exhibition represents one of the strategic tools and main implementation paths of the “Make in the Emirates” initiative and the National Content Programme, as the UAE adopts it to link accelerated industrial growth with the development of national competencies, and to transform industrial investments into qualitative and sustainable job opportunities that support achieving the goals of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, by providing an integrated platform that brings together industrial and technological companies with Emirati talent, enhances awareness of professional opportunities, and supports vocational guidance and qualification.
He pointed out that the 2026 edition of the “Manufacturers” exhibition witnessed an increasing turnout that reflects the growing confidence in the industrial sector as one of the main engines of economic development, as more than 4,500 job seekers, male and female, attended over two days. The first day alone included the presence of more than 1,800 researchers and the conduct of more than 7,300 job interviews, which resulted in more than 800 male and female citizens initially qualifying for employment, based on the current session providing more than 1,000 career opportunities offered by more than 70 leading national companies in strategic specializations including artificial intelligence, engineering, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and industrial services.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology explained to WAM that the UAE industrial sector continues to achieve remarkable and influential growth, as its contribution to the gross domestic product has increased by about 70% since 2021, while industrial exports exceeded the barrier of 262 billion dirhams during the year 2025, all of which reflects the success of the state’s industrial policies and its superior ability to attract investments and enhance the competitiveness of national products in global markets.
He stressed that empowering citizens in these advanced sectors constitutes a major axis in the UAE’s vision aimed at building a competitive economy based on knowledge, innovation and technology, indicating that industrial growth is not measured only by the volume of investments and exports, but also by its ability to create sustainable professional opportunities for national competencies, which is consistent with the country’s directions to build an advanced industrial base capable of competing globally.
He explained that the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is working diligently to ensure that citizens benefit directly from this exceptional growth, through a set of initiatives and programs that link the needs of the sector with the requirements of the labor market, to prepare qualified national cadres to lead the industries of the future in emerging technologies and others, as the Ministry, in its strategic partnership with ADNOC and national partners, continues to work on developing an integrated system for qualifying Emirati competencies, based on the firm belief that investment in the Emirati human being will remain the basic pillar of the industrial development process, which enhances the country’s competitiveness and consolidates its position. A global center for industry and advanced technology.
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