{"id":565654,"date":"2026-05-04T13:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/565654\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T13:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:08:12","slug":"investing-in-uae-is-no-longer-optional-adnoc-ceo-tells-private-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/565654\/","title":{"rendered":"Investing in UAE is ‘no longer optional’, Adnoc CEO tells private sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Editor’s Note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the\u00a0US-Israel-Iran ceasefire<\/a>\u00a0now in effect.]<\/p>\n

The UAE\u2019s private sector was told on Monday that investing at home is \u201cno longer an option\u201d but a national priority, as the largest edition of Make it in the Emirates opened with a call to strengthen economic sovereignty, local manufacturing and industrial resilience.<\/p>\n

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said investing in the UAE is an \u201cinvestment in our stability, our economic sovereignty, and the future of generations to come\u201d.<\/p>\n

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels<\/a><\/p>\n

The message came as the UAE launched its largest industrial platform to date, backed by a Dh200-billion project pipeline,<\/a> expanded procurement opportunities and new commitments to localise thousands of products across strategic sectors.<\/p>\n

Industrial growth<\/p>\n

Al Jaber announced that procurement opportunities under the National In-Country Value Programme will grow from Dh168 billion to Dh180 billion over the next decade, alongside the localisation of more than 5,000 products. Industrial exports have reached Dh262 billion, including Dh92 billion in advanced industrial exports, while the industrial sector\u2019s national contribution has hit Dh200 billion, marking 70 per cent growth.<\/p>\n

The minister said manufacturing had become central to national strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who manufacture, own their decisions. Those who build, own their future. And those who combine both secure their sovereignty and resilience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hormuz warning<\/p>\n

He also issued a strong warning on the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Strait of Hormuz <\/a>must never be held hostage or used as a tool of economic coercion and extortion,\u201d Al Jaber said, in his clearest statement yet since regional tensions escalated. <\/p>\n

He added that freedom of international navigation \u201cis non-negotiable and cannot be compromised,\u201d warning that any change to the strait\u2019s legal status \u201cwould constitute a dangerous and unacceptable precedent and a direct threat to global economic security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Al Jaber also addressed the UAE\u2019s historic exit from Opec and Opec+, <\/a>effective May 1, saying the decision \u201cis not directed against anyone\u201d. He described it as part of a broader vision connecting energy, technology and industry, giving the UAE greater flexibility to accelerate investment and create long-term value.<\/p>\n

He said artificial intelligence would play a bigger role in the country\u2019s industrial base. \u201cAI will no longer be just a tool in our factories. It will become an industrial brain and a partner in decision-making,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dh200-billion pipeline<\/p>\n

The Dh200-billion pipeline, unveiled at the \u2018Make it With Adnoc\u2019 forum on Sunday, connects top EPC contractors with 70 qualified Emirati manufacturers under the new \u2018Local+\u2019 initiative. Adnoc also plans to host \u2018Adnoc Value Connect\u2019 on May 5 and 6, bringing together more than 1,000 companies to link local manufacturers directly with key suppliers.<\/p>\n

Now in its fifth and largest edition, Make it in the Emirates 2026 runs until May 7 at Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi, featuring 1,245 exhibitors across 88,000 square metres, a 30 per cent increase from last year. <\/p>\n

International Holding Company, the UAE\u2019s most valuable listed company with a market capitalisation of Dh876 billion, joins as an investment partner with 32 subsidiaries spanning AI, energy transition, infrastructure and financial services. Enablement partners include Mubadala, Emirates Development Bank, Kezad Group and PureHealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the UAE, opportunities begin. And from the UAE, industries launch to the world,\u201d Al Jaber concluded.<\/p>\n

\"Amal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[Editor’s Note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the\u00a0US-Israel-Iran ceasefire\u00a0now in effect.]…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":565655,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[84,1294,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-565654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=565654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/565655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=565654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=565654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=565654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}