Two Indian conglomerates are to invest about Dh1.2 billion ($327 million) to operate at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, boosting the emirate's push to make manufacturing a pillar of economic diversification and job creation.
The companies, Jindal Saw Group and Haldiram Group, will develop more than 514,000 square metres of manufacturing infrastructure, Kezad's parent company AD Ports Group said on Friday.
Kezad is the largest operator of integrated economic zones in the UAE. The agreements were signed during the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Mumbai, co-ordinated by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.
New Delhi-based Jindal, which makes steel pipes and tubes, will set up operations spread across 400,000 square metres at Icad Kezad Musaffah, at an investment of about Dh1 billion, it said.
Haldiram, a snack food major based in Nagpur, will build a 114,000-square-metre hub at Kezad Ma’mourah, while spending between Dh150 million and Dh200 million for the project.
The developments by Jindal and Haldiram are expected to create about 1,000 and 300 jobs, respectively, AD Ports Group said.
Abdullah Al Hameli, chief executive for economic cities and free zones at AD Ports Group, said the investments mirror the "strength of Abu Dhabi’s industrial ecosystem and the confidence international investors place in our ability to support advanced manufacturing at scale".
"These projects will create skilled jobs, deepen sector capabilities and reinforce our commitment to sustainable industrial growth across the UAE," he said.
Abu Dhabi is shifting away from relying mostly on oil and continues to introduce measures to attract international investors, boost its competitiveness and improve the ease of conducting business.
The UAE capital's economy grew by nearly 4 per cent annually to Dh306.3 billion in the second quarter of this year, boosted by strong performance in its non-oil sector.
Manufacturing remained the largest contributor to the non-oil sector - at 10 per cent - growing 3.1 per cent annually to Dh30.1 billion.
This came on the back of the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, which has driven a 23 per cent increase in industrial GDP since 2022 and increased the number of industrial enterprises by 19.4 per cent.
Kezad Group, meanwhile, spans 12 economic zones in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra Region, covering a total of 550 square kilometres. It provides strategic market access, lower operating costs and ease of doing business with more than 2,100 businesses from 17 key industrial sectors.
In June, Kezad announced that it will develop Kezad Business District in Ma’mourah, which is being billed as a "next-generation" commercial hub to attract more global investors to the emirate.
"Abu Dhabi’s advanced infrastructure, supportive regulatory environment and Kezad's supply chain efficiencies and world-class logistics make it the perfect base" for expansion into the Middle East and North African markets, said Manohar Lal Agarwal, chairman of Haldiram Group.
Haldiram has an annual turnover of about $1.5 billion, underpinned by daily production capacity of 2,000 tonnes and more than 22,000 employees, its website shows.
Jindal's net profit for its fiscal year 2025, meanwhile, rose to 18.7 billion rupees ($211.3 million), according to its filing to India's National Stock Exchange.
"Kezad's integrated infrastructure, connectivity and investor-friendly environment provide a robust platform for our future expansion," said PR Jindal, chairman of Jindal Saw Group.
The UAE and India have a decades-long bilateral and economic relationship, with investments between the countries continuing to expand, especially after the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi's Ta’ziz, an industrial zone being developed in Al Ruwais, signed two long-term sales agreements of up to 10 years with India's Sanmar Group for the supply of key raw materials used in the manufacturing of industrial and chemical products.
