'Make it in the Emirates' sees strong local, international turnout

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, attended the opening of the fifth edition of 'Make it in the Emirates' on Monday.

The event, taking place from May 4-7 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, ADNOC, and L'IMAD.

During the visit, Sheikh Mansour toured several pavilions and was briefed on the latest national initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening the industrial sector and consolidating the UAE's position as a regional and global industrial hub.

Make it in the Emirates is the largest industrial gathering in the region, convening senior government and private sector decision-makers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, experts, innovators and representatives of financial institutions.

On the sidelines of the event, Sheikh Mansour met Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones in Oman.

The meeting explored ways to further strengthen cooperation to serve mutual interests and benefit the two brotherly nations.

Sheikh Mansour emphasized that Make it in the Emirates has become a key pillar of the UAE's economic diversification agenda. It is contributing to a sustainable industrial base and helping to drive the nation towards a better future.

Mansour bin Zayed has attended the opening ceremony of the 5th @MIITEUAE, and toured the pavilions of local and international participating entities, and reviewed the latest national initiatives and projects strengthening the UAE’s industrial sector. pic.twitter.com/uFm6fosIIF

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) May 4, 2026

In his opening remarks, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber highlighted the progress achieved under the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology.

Industrial sector contribution has reached AED 200 billion, a 70 per cent increase since 2021; while industrial exports climbed to AED 262 billion, including AED 92 billion in advanced industrial exports.

He further noted the rise in industrial procurement opportunities from AED 168 billion to AED 180 billion over the coming decade, in parallel with efforts to localize over 5,000 products across key strategic sectors that reinforce economic, food, and health security and promote sustainable business growth.

Highlighting the importance of national value creation, Dr. Al Jaber said: "We organized yesterday the ‘Make it with ADNOC’ forum ahead of this event. ADNOC presented projects worth over AED 200 billion for the next two years and announced the Local+ initiative, which connects Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors and service providers with 70 qualified UAE manufacturers, mandating them to prioritize locally manufactured products to strengthen the role of national industry in driving ADNOC’s projects and supply chains."

Make it in the Emirates has achieved significant success in previous editions, contributing to empowering the industrial sector, supporting local manufacturing, attracting investments and forging partnerships, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology.

More than 1,245 exhibiting companies across 12 industrial sectors are participating in the fifth edition, which includes new procurement opportunities targeting the localization of around 5,000 products in the UAE.

SMEs account for 61 per cent of total participants, and the event is expected to attract more than 120,000 visitors, including international investors, manufacturers, decision-makers and industry leaders.