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Workers make parts for Airbus and Boeing at the Strata Manufacturing facility in Al Ain. Pawan Singh / The National
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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Dubai airport in 2011. Parts for the jet are made in Al Ain. Jeff Topping / The National
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Visitors look at Caracal's rifles at Abu Dhabi's 2021 Idex exhibition. Caracal is a UAE company. Victor Besa / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MMVZJTHH7CP4R4JAJLSLU2K7UM.jpg?smart=true&auth=fc505fcb89b25a6679e89fc8cc2b99ccbeffe31116cbda606680322d4088d127&width=400&height=225)
Workers produce bottles of perfume at the Swiss Arabian factory in Sharjah. Randi Sokoloff / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A7767Y73XWTJ2XXGGMQRMZZKU4.jpg?smart=true&auth=93eeb921b440847107326ccdc46dbc20e64af452442ed9d145c20a04e6429903&width=400&height=225)
A worker sprays a glossy finish on a toilet bowl at the RAK Ceramics factory in Ras Al Khaimah. Sarah Dea / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SBIOPXEE4ASBCPA7X7NYIBSIIU.jpg?smart=true&auth=57602d87faff562c0d6ec7d59b0632a7fe1fa88f036a6e4fa4971863de417771&width=400&height=225)
Workers prepare camels for milking at the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products, producers of milk products such as 'Camelicous'. Jeff Topping / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CD4S5266SIKXMCN62FYUDJT4XU.jpg?smart=true&auth=eb35f06653b2730217164435e30218974f0740560f8bd93a76dae473d72383d4&width=400&height=225)
Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries in Ras Al Khaimah. Pawan Singh / The National
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Dubai Opera. Future Architectural Glass counts it among its projects. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
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Emirates Global Aluminium in Abu Dhabi. Rich-Joseph Facun / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VALQD5IWUJA5KDYIK6LVYB3TB4.jpg?smart=true&auth=30025e40e33c356f16dfd2a031834a8f3103b6e29e1501ca5c9592907ba3b870&width=400&height=225)
Workers make parts for Airbus and Boeing at the Strata Manufacturing facility in Al Ain. Pawan Singh / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RIM6ENPHV7EZ3WUD5FOQKLUJ2Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fc6754ee5833ba801aeb703ee1719a413d115e8c3df7e24c14c15081d9bf305&width=400&height=225)
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Dubai airport in 2011. Parts for the jet are made in Al Ain. Jeff Topping / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5YUROGHA42TLD6SFUSD7XER3MY.jpg?smart=true&auth=cec65c289e22951f721bc2bcdadd368e9a8889d4490de241484f297760911c4a&width=400&height=225)
Visitors look at Caracal's rifles at Abu Dhabi's 2021 Idex exhibition. Caracal is a UAE company. Victor Besa / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MMVZJTHH7CP4R4JAJLSLU2K7UM.jpg?smart=true&auth=fc505fcb89b25a6679e89fc8cc2b99ccbeffe31116cbda606680322d4088d127&width=400&height=225)
Workers produce bottles of perfume at the Swiss Arabian factory in Sharjah. Randi Sokoloff / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A7767Y73XWTJ2XXGGMQRMZZKU4.jpg?smart=true&auth=93eeb921b440847107326ccdc46dbc20e64af452442ed9d145c20a04e6429903&width=400&height=225)
A worker sprays a glossy finish on a toilet bowl at the RAK Ceramics factory in Ras Al Khaimah. Sarah Dea / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SBIOPXEE4ASBCPA7X7NYIBSIIU.jpg?smart=true&auth=57602d87faff562c0d6ec7d59b0632a7fe1fa88f036a6e4fa4971863de417771&width=400&height=225)
Workers prepare camels for milking at the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products, producers of milk products such as 'Camelicous'. Jeff Topping / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CD4S5266SIKXMCN62FYUDJT4XU.jpg?smart=true&auth=eb35f06653b2730217164435e30218974f0740560f8bd93a76dae473d72383d4&width=400&height=225)
Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries in Ras Al Khaimah. Pawan Singh / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YPHT667Q4NI2ZLNZOLDKOYLM5Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=e3eb2498d7733b1a024c05ab33bff0993d43c210e9b46787aa622fbc64cefa27&width=400&height=225)
Dubai Opera. Future Architectural Glass counts it among its projects. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/H6CMZL3BHB3PVT7N7JPJVBS5WM.jpg?smart=true&auth=807a6a2894086116380d093fdd52ffaa05936dda0ba171d8b93dbccac8a685dc&width=400&height=225)
Emirates Global Aluminium in Abu Dhabi. Rich-Joseph Facun / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VALQD5IWUJA5KDYIK6LVYB3TB4.jpg?smart=true&auth=30025e40e33c356f16dfd2a031834a8f3103b6e29e1501ca5c9592907ba3b870&width=400&height=225)
Workers make parts for Airbus and Boeing at the Strata Manufacturing facility in Al Ain. Pawan Singh / The National
Make it in the Emirates: From diving beneath the sea to flying with the stars - a short history of UAE industry
Home-grown manufacturing is the way forward for the country's economy
![James Langton](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F59aec61e-41b3-468c-8a69-57168338145b.png?smart=true&auth=20537dd68c837a65707d347b248e74bad34b378390f02a7be13b68d756185b99&width=70&height=70)
James Langton
23 March, 2021
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