Make in UAE 2026 conference opens with focus on industrial resilience, supply-chain security and advanced manufacturing
Make in UAE 2026 opening panels highlighted national industrial resilience, energy security and trade growth, with ministers outlining supply-chain and technology strategies.
The opening day of Make in UAE 2026 underscored the nation’s industrial resilience and strategic readiness, with ministers and industry leaders outlining how policy, technology and partnerships have strengthened manufacturing and supply chains. The forum’s central discussion on “Dealing with Disruptions — Protecting Supply Chains and Industrial Resilience” set the tone, linking energy strategy, trade diversification and advanced technology investment to long-term competitiveness. Officials said the rapid response and flexibility shown across sectors reflect plans and capabilities developed over years that enabled the UAE to weather recent shocks and emerge stronger.
Panel: Rapid response and strategic readiness
Speakers credited long-term strategic planning and a culture of preparedness for the UAE’s ability to adapt quickly to global disruptions. They argued that early investments in contingency planning, national content and workforce capabilities underpinned the country’s agility. The discussion framed resilience as a function of policy, infrastructure and human capital working together rather than isolated measures.
Energy policy and production flexibility
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei stressed that global demand requires increased production and that the UAE intends to remain a responsible energy supplier. He said a deliberate decision to exit OPEC was taken to allow greater freedom to adjust production to meet global needs and support market stability. Al Mazrouei also praised ADNOC’s central role in elevating the UAE’s industrial position and said energy choices are integral to enabling the Make in UAE 2026 agenda.
Securing maritime routes and strategic reserves
On maritime security, officials warned that control of the Strait of Hormuz must not be monopolised and emphasized the need to restore and secure global strategic reserves. Al Mazrouei called for the uninterrupted opening of key waterways and for production to fill strategic stocks, linking secure logistics to both national industry continuity and global market stability. The panel positioned open sea lanes and resilient transport corridors as essential components of supply-chain security.
Trade expansion and export performance
Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, highlighted the scale of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade, noting it exceeded $1 trillion (about AED 3.8 trillion) in 2025, up 27 percent year-on-year. He credited comprehensive trade agreements and an expanded network of over 250 seaports for widening market access and cushioning supply-chain shocks. Al Zeyoudi said ongoing efforts to open markets, deepen partnerships and attract investment position the industrial sector to deliver sustained export-led growth.
Advanced technology and defence manufacturing surge
Faisal Al Bannai, Chair of EDGE Group, described a rapid transformation in the demand mix for UAE-made defence products, with external orders climbing dramatically in recent years. He outlined ambitious targets for multiplying the scale of national defence manufacturing and detailed instances where development timelines were compressed markedly to meet urgent needs. Al Bannai highlighted that programs normally requiring multi-year schedules were accelerated, demonstrating the maturity and adaptability of local advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Partnerships, R&D and industrial competitiveness
Panelists agreed that strategic partnerships with major and emerging economies, coupled with targeted R&D investments, have expanded the UAE’s industrial options and strengthened export competitiveness. They said diversification of energy mixes, national content policies and collaboration on technology transfer are driving higher-value manufacturing. The session emphasized that sustained funding for innovation and skills development will be critical to securing leadership in advanced industries.
The Make in UAE 2026 opening discussions positioned industrial policy, trade diplomacy and technological investment as mutually reinforcing pillars that have sharpened the nation’s response to disruption. Officials presented a narrative in which decisive energy choices, broader market access and accelerated industrial capability-building collectively underpin resilience. Ministers and industry leaders left the forum with a common message: the UAE’s strategic direction and partnerships will continue to expand manufacturing capacity, protect supply chains and support economic diversification.
Looking ahead, the conference will monitor how new agreements, infrastructure projects and technology initiatives announced during the platform translate into tangible industrial output and export growth. The Make in UAE 2026 programme aims to convert policy momentum into sustained manufacturing scale, higher-skilled jobs and deeper integration into global value chains. The path outlined by leaders at the opening session signals a focused drive to make the UAE an increasingly self-reliant, export-oriented industrial hub.