UAE partners with World Economic Forum to fast-track industrial transformation

The UAE has signed a partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), aimed at accelerating the digital and technological transformation of the country’s manufacturing sector.

It will turn the ministry’s Technology Transformation Programme (TTP) into a national platform designed to help UAE factories modernise operations, adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and better integrate into global supply chains.

Under the deal signed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, the UAE’s Industrial Technology Transformation Index (ITTI) will be aligned with the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Operating System, a global framework based on best practices from more than 200 advanced “Lighthouse” factories worldwide. The move is intended to give manufacturers in the UAE a clear, structured pathway from assessment to real-world execution of Industry 4.0 technologies.

Hasan Jasim Al Nowais, undersecretary at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said the partnership reinforces the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for future industries. He said aligning national programmes with international benchmarks would help boost industrial productivity, strengthen supply chains and attract investment under the “Make it in the Emirates” initiative.

The World Economic Forum said the Lighthouse Operating System was designed to move industrial transformation beyond small pilot projects and make it accessible to companies of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Kiva Allgood, managing director at the Forum, said digital transformation was no longer optional as manufacturers face mounting pressure from supply chain disruption and sustainability demands.

The agreement also focuses on skills development, knowledge sharing and building a national model for industrial transformation, with further methodology expected to be rolled out later this year.

The partnership builds on the UAE’s Transform 4.0 initiative, launched two years ago, which aims to support high-potential manufacturers in adopting advanced technologies and developing a new generation of industrial “Lighthouses” across the country.