UAE ministry to present industrial support programmes at ADNOC forum

The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) said it would present industrial investment support programmes at the second Make it with ADNOC Forum in Abu Dhabi on 25 October. The ministry’s announcement was published by the Emirates News Agency on 24 October. It describes a forum session and information for manufacturers, rather than a new funding award or a change to programme rules.

MoIAT said its participation with ADNOC, which is organising the forum, would connect industrial procurement demand with opportunities for local manufacturing, investment, financing and technology adoption. The ministry named four existing instruments: the National In-Country Value Programme, the Technology Transformation Programme, Factory Forward UAE and the National Industrial Resilience Fund. It said officials would explain how suppliers and manufacturers can use the support ecosystem.

The National In-Country Value Programme certifies suppliers by assessing their contribution to the UAE economy. MoIAT says certified suppliers’ scores can provide an advantage when public entities and major national companies award tenders and contracts. The programme is intended to channel procurement spending toward local manufacturing, products, services and other domestic investment. A score does not itself guarantee a contract; procurement decisions remain subject to each buyer’s process.

The Technology Transformation Programme brings together tools for factories adopting advanced technology. MoIAT lists the Industrial Technology Transformation Index, Transform 4.0, an incentive scheme, Industry 4.0 enablement centres and a future-factory award among its initiatives. The Index assesses digital maturity and sustainability practices. Factory Forward UAE offers a guided route that includes an on-site assessment, a digital maturity report and a roadmap identifying potential areas for operational improvement.

The fourth named instrument, the National Industrial Resilience Fund, predates the forum announcement. In May 2026, MoIAT, Emirates Development Bank and ADNOC announced the AED1 billion fund, which EDB manages over five years. ADNOC was identified as its first partner. The fund is designed to support brownfield expansion and local supply chains across six strategic industrial sectors; the forum preview does not announce a new allocation from it.

MoIAT framed the forum as a place to raise awareness among manufacturers, investors and suppliers about existing national programmes and industrial partnerships. Its stated aim is to help businesses locate relevant procurement demand and understand routes to financing and technology support. The announcement provides no count of participating firms, applications, contracts or funding decisions expected from the event.

The ministry also planned to invite companies to the sixth Make it in the Emirates event, scheduled in Abu Dhabi for 3–6 May 2027. That is a separate future exhibition. For manufacturers, the practical point of the 25 October forum is information about how existing support routes work; eligibility, assessment and any resulting financing or procurement remain matters for the responsible programme and buyer.