UAE and UN agency Unido discuss ways to strengthen industrial collaboration

Officials discussed ways to boost competitiveness and promote investment in research and development

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, speaks with Gerd Muller, director general of the UN Industrial Development Organisation, during their meeting online. Photo: Ministry Show more

Officials from the UAE and UN Industrial Development Organisation have met online to discuss ways to strengthen industrial collaboration.

They looked at ways to boost co-operation and optimise Unido's competitive industrial performance (CIP) index, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said on Wednesday.

The index measures countries' ability to produce and export manufactured goods competitively. The UAE is currently ranked first in the region on the CIP index.

During the online meeting, which was attended by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Gerd Muller, director general of Unido, officials underscored the importance of forming a joint team between the ministry and Unido to help achieve the UN's ninth sustainable development goal, which is to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation, officials said.

Unido is the specialised agency of the UN that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability.

The UAE is focusing heavily on its manufacturing and industrial sector as part of its diversification efforts.

Last year, the country launched Operation 300bn, a 10-year plan aimed at increasing the industrial sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product to Dh300 billion ($81.68bn) in 2031, from Dh133bn in 2021.

The Abu Dhabi government also said last month that it would invest Dh10bn to double the size of its manufacturing sector by 2031.

To support this, it will develop a new circular economy regulatory framework to ensure that industrial growth remains sustainable.

During the Ministry of Industry's meeting with Unido, officials also discussed enhancing competitiveness, exchanging industrial information to serve the global value chain, promoting investment in research and development and supporting diversification of industries using advanced technology.

They also spoke on the formation of a taskforce to enhance co-operation in the build-up to the Cop28 climate summit, which will be held next year in the UAE.