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The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added) has joined forces with the Tawazun Industrial Park to boost the industrial sector and its competitiveness.
The initial agreement aims to deliver the initiatives launched by Added’s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), the entities said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
They intend to achieve the objectives of Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy (ADIS) by investing Dh10 billion ($2.72 billion) in six transformational programmes to more than double the sector size to Dh172 billion, create 13,600 jobs, and contribute to increase emirate’s non-oil exports to Dh178.8 billion by 2031.
ADIS’ six transformational programmes include industry 4.0, circular economy, talent development, ecosystem enablement, home-grown supply chain and value chain development.
“We are honoured to enhance co-operation with Tawazun Industrial Park, a key pillar of industrial sector in Abu Dhabi and a regional hub of defence and security industries, as we are rolling out initiatives and building partnerships with major local and global players,” Arafat Al Yafei, executive director of IDB, said.
Abu Dhabi-headquartered Tawazun Industrial Park offers defence and security contractors and their supply chain the complete industrial infrastructure required to support, build and grow their establishment, its website said.
The partnership between Added and Tawazun will include the land incentives programme which offers long-term industrial land lease contracts through rental rebate, with rates as low as Dh5 a square metre and the energy tariff incentive programme that offers preferential rates for gas and electricity to industrial sector.
The agreement will support defence and security industries, enhance competitiveness and increase export opportunities, said Shareef Al Hashmi, chief executive of Tawazun Council, and chairman of Tawazun Industrial Park.
“The role of defence and security industries in diversification and sustainable, comprehensive development is growing steadily, and our co-operation with various government entities aims to enhance an attractive ecosystem for defence and security companies,” Mr Al Hashmi said.
By 2030, the UAE plans to increase its domestic defence expenditure from 10 per cent to 30 per cent of its total defence expenditure, which represents an opportunity to substitute imports and promote supply chain localisation.
In 2021, the UAE launched the Operation 300bn strategy to increase the industrial sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product to Dh300 billion by 2031, from Dh133 billion in 2021. The Arab world's second-largest economy is also encouraging companies to manufacture products locally under the Make it in the Emirates initiative.