UAE's Make it in the Emirates Forum to unveil multibillion-dollar deals

The event will be held at Abu Dhabi Energy Centre from May 31 to June 1

Last year's inaugural Make it in the Emirates Forum was attended by 1,800 stakeholders. Victor Besa / The National

The second Make it in the Emirates Forum, a key investment event in the UAE, is expected to announce billions of dollars worth of investment and procurement opportunities, as well as new partnerships.

The forum will be held under the theme of investment, sustainability and growth at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre from May 31 to June 1.

It aims to attract investment for UAE industries and convince manufacturers to set up operations in the country, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, which is organising the event, said on Monday.

The inaugural Make it in the Emirates Forum in June last year was attended by 1,800 stakeholders and resulted in Dh110 billion ($30 billion) worth of potential procurement agreements covering 300 products across 11 sectors.

The event falls under the umbrella of the UAE's Operation 300bn strategy, which seeks to position the country as an industrial centre by 2031.

The 10-year plan focuses on increasing the industrial sector's contribution to the UAE economy to Dh300 billion in 2031, from Dh133 billion in 2021.

Among the key objectives of the strategy are measures to boost production in 11 priority sectors, as well support the growth of national industries, attract foreign investment and ensure the availability of dedicated financing for local industrial companies.

In March, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology also launched Make it in the Emirates awards to recognise “excellence and innovation” on the part of companies in the UAE’s industrial sector.

The awards, which will be held at the event, will celebrate “visionaries, national talents, sustainability champions and game-changers” in the industrial sector who are helping drive the country’s transformation into a global manufacturing centre, the ministry said.

This year, the Make it in the Emirates Forum will focus on sustainable industrial development, carbon reduction and measures to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to climate action in line with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and the 2023 Year of Sustainability campaign.

The UAE is prioritising clean energy and the fight against climate change as it prepares to host the Cop28 summit at Expo City Dubai later this year.