Abu Dhabi-UAE. 5 May 2026: As governments worldwide respond to global disruption by raising trade barriers, UAE leaders at Make it in the Emirates 2026 made the case that industrial strength comes from engineering more collaborative, smarter systems, rather than retreating from global markets.
Speaking on day two of the UAE’s flagship industrial platform, senior government officials outlined how the country is embedding localization into trade, healthcare, procurement, talent, and security frameworks.
His Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, said the UAE’s 36 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) are central to that strategy — helping domestic producers scale globally rather than simply serving local demand.
“Since the start of the CEPA program, these agreements have contributed an additional $140 billion worth of trade.”
He added that the UAE’s trade agenda is being backed by technology, saying the ministry is partnering with G42 to build a platform that would make it “the world’s first AI-powered trade ministry”.
ICV Program Boosting Investor Confidence
Speakers said guaranteed demand is key to turning localization policy into industrial output. Structured procurement pipelines and the In-Country Value (ICV) framework are giving manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and hire, they said.
In healthcare, His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al Zarooni, Executive Director of Financial Sector and Supporting Services at Emirates Health Services (EHS), said the UAE learned important lessons on localization during the COVID pandemic: “I’m talking about ICU items, critical items, and vaccines – items that do not wait for anybody in the supply chain.”
For manufacturers seeking to plug into the UAE’s supply chains, His Excellency Sharief Habib Al Awadhi, Director General of Fujairah Free Zone, said the infrastructure is already in place.
“Whatever you want, it’s at your fingertips.”
The UAE’s localization agenda depends on people as much as policy, the event heard. His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Shimmari, Executive Director of the National Workforce Enablement Sector at the Department of Government Enablement, said AI has made the global skills challenge harder — not easier — and that nations must respond with structured upskilling.
“The skills gap is actually a global dilemma. Just three or four years ago, it stood at around 50%. After the introduction of AI as an easy tool in everyone’s hands, the skills gap actually widened — and nations that embraced that change enforced upskilling programs across all initiatives.”
Bringing the localization conversation to quality infrastructure, Her Excellency Amina Ahmad Mohammad, CEO of the Emirates International Accreditation Centre, said accreditation is “a market access tool”, calling it “an invisible passport for any product”.
Her Excellency Dr. Farah Al Zarooni, Assistant Undersecretary for Standardization Affairs at MoIAT, said standards are now built into the UAE’s trade agreements — and the long-term goal is a lighter touch.
“We have a standalone full chapter on technical barriers to trade in our CEPAs. The ultimate goal is zero standards-based regulation — in some areas, we are already self-regulating.”
His Excellency Eng. Fahad Gharib Al-Shamsi, Acting Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Council for Quality and Conformity, echoed that approach: “We are not trying to over-regulate. We are not policing. We are making sure there is justification and safety for the market.”
Meanwhile, His Excellency Saleh Lootah, Managing Director of Al Islami Foods, said manufacturers need the system to stay simple: “Complexity steals clarity … Quality should be the center.”
The day’s final sessions made the case that industrial sovereignty rests on defence capability and food security.
His Excellency Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of Tawazun Council, said: “We have proven in the UAE that we not only take security very seriously, but we deliver.”
His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Othman, Executive Director of Agricultural Affairs at ADAFSA, said food security has been elevated to a national security priority
“Food security is not a sole issue anymore — it is a fundamental aspect built on our national security priorities. We now have more than 25,000 farms, more than 24,000 livestock holdings, and more than 3.5 million heads of livestock. These are the infrastructure to build on.”
His Excellency Hamad Mohammed Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO, EDGE Group, said resilience “doesn’t come only because you have the equipment”.
“You have to understand the vision, the notion, and the interest of the UAE: order, protection, safety, prevention of harm, and defending,” he said.
The day’s discussions, held under the theme “The In-Country Value Opportunity: Creating Long-Term Value“, reinforced how the UAE is building systems that keep the economy open, stable, and competitive when global markets come under strain.
Make it in the Emirates 2026 is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the ADNOC Group and L’IMAD, and organized by the ADNEC Group. The event runs from 4-7 May at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the theme “Advanced Industry. Emerging Stronger”.
For more information, visit www.moiat.gov.ae
For media enquiries, please contact: media@moiat.gov.ae
Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) is the UAE’s national industrial platform, led by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), driving industrial growth, localization, and global competitiveness.
Now in its fifth edition, MIITE brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and manufacturers to enable partnerships, unlock procurement opportunities, and accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing and AI across priority sectors.
