UAE seeks to boost Gulf industrial integration and supply chain resilience

The United Arab Emirates is working to enhance industrial integration and supply chain resilience among Gulf states. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, led a UAE delegation to high-level meetings in Bahrain. These discussions aim to bolster industrial cooperation, strengthen supply chains, accelerate the use of advanced technology and AI, and involve the private sector in forging partnerships for joint industrial opportunities.

The meetings, which took place on the sidelines of the inaugural Made in GCC Forum and Exhibition 2026, resulted in the establishment of the Gulf Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its digital platform. The UAE has been actively promoting domestic manufacturing, which now contributes significantly to its economy, accounting for Dh200 billion of its national economy.

The country's industrial exports reached Dh260 billion last year, with Dh92 billion in medium-and high-technology exports. The UAE's Operation 300bn strategy aims to position it as a global industrial hub by 2031, focusing on priority industries such as chemicals, electrical, construction, machinery, food, transport, metals, pharmaceuticals, rubber, plastic, and wood and paper.

In recent years, the UAE has heavily invested in advanced technology and AI, with several multibillion-dollar projects underway. The country's National Industrial Resilience Fund and National In-Country Value programme are designed to strengthen its industrial sector and secure supply chains. The UAE is pushing for deeper industrial cooperation across the Gulf as countries seek to localize supply chains and reduce reliance on imports following disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other global shocks.