The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has outlined plans for the upcoming Make it in the Emirates summit that will seek to mobilise investments and foster partnerships to enhance the UAE’s industrial resilience. Scheduled for May 4 to 7 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the event will bring together a record number of participants as the country advances its diversification agenda. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, will head the list of 300 speakers at the forum.
More than 1,000 UAE companies are expected to take part, marking a 42 per cent increase over the 2025 edition, a ministry assessment found. Organisers project attendance of 122,500 visitors during the four days of activities that will also facilitate the signing of offtake agreements valued at Dh168 billion, equivalent to $45.7 billion. The scale of anticipated deals underscores the summit’s role in driving concrete industrial commitments across multiple sectors.
New funding opportunities for the industrial sector will be announced at the event, building on the Dh40 billion in initiatives unveiled at last year’s gathering, Osama Fadhel, assistant under-secretary of industrial accelerators at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, told The National. “We will announce new initiatives pertaining to funding the industrial sector, which should empower the resilience of the industrial sector and enable us to attract investments,” Fadhel said. The announcements are part of ongoing efforts to support local manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The UAE government launched Operation 300bn in 2021 to raise the contribution of the industrial sector to the economy to Dh300 billion by 2031, according to the Ministry of Economy. Central Bank of the UAE data from the first quarter of 2026 placed non-oil growth at 4.3 per cent for 2025, with manufacturing emerging as a key driver in areas ranging from pharmaceuticals to advanced materials. This strategy has targeted 11 main sectors including chemicals, electrical equipment, construction materials, food products, transport, metals, rubber and plastics.
In 2025 the Emirates Development Bank established the Dh1 billion Emirates Growth Fund to provide financing for companies in manufacturing, healthcare, food security and advanced technology fields, the bank said in a statement at the time. The fund forms one element of a broader ecosystem designed to nurture industrial capabilities and reduce import dependence in strategic areas. Participants at previous editions of the summit have used the platform to secure partnerships that have since translated into expanded production capacity.
The official event website highlighted the summit’s evolution since its inception. “Marking its fifth anniversary, Make it in the Emirates 2026 accelerates localisation, innovation, and industrial resilience, strengthening the UAE’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing,” it stated. “By fostering collaborations and mobilising investment, the platform ensures the UAE’s industrial base continues to emerge stronger, advancing national economic security and long-term growth,” the site added.
