Since ADIS’s launch in June 2022, the industrial GDP in Abu Dhabi grew 23 per cent from AED90.8bn ($24.7bn) in 2022 to AED111.6bn ($30.4bn) in 2024.
At the same time, the number of industrial enterprises increased 19.4 per cent from 925 to 1,104, said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).
Abu Dhabi industrial strategy
Participating in a panel discussion on the opening day of the 4th session of “Make it in the Emirates”, Al Zaabi highlighted the initiatives and programmes of the UAE and Abu Dhabi aimed at fostering an investment climate that accelerates industrial growth and unlocks long-term economic resilience.
Al Zaabi said: “The UAE has developed a robust ecosystem that attracts and empowers global talents and high-quality investments as reflected in the significant growth of FDIs in various sectors, including the industrial sector”.
He added that the UAE’s industrial strategy has established the right frameworks to stimulate the industrial sector with a strong focus on enhancing resilience to address emerging trends, challenges, and rapid changes through various programmes including talent development, financing, ease of doing business, supply chains, ICV, sustainability, Industry 4.0, and attraction of foreign direct investments.
Al Zaabi said: “We work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) to contribute to ‘Operation 300bn’ aiming to raise the industrial sector GDP to AED300bn ($81.7bn) by 2031 and align with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy”.
Al Zaabi explained that Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector increased its contribution to 53 per cent of UAE’s industrial GDP, which rose 6.6 per cent to AED210bn ($57.2bn) in 2024.
This is compared to a contribution of 51.3 per cent to the country’s industrial sector in 2023 and 46 per cent in 2022.
He said: “A key component of our soaring ‘Falcon Economy’, ADIS is strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as the region’s most competitive industrial hub. It is guiding the manufacturing sector’s transition to Industry 4.0 and the adoption of smart manufacturing’s methods, techniques, and approaches”.
Last year, Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector remained the largest non-oil contributor to the emirate’s GDP, accounting for 9.5 per cent of total GDP and 17.3 per cent of non-oil GDP.
In Q1-2025, the industrial sector continued its growth with the number of new industrial licences rising 4.7 per cent t to 89 compared to 85 new licences in the corresponding period last year.
Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy is rapidly emerging as a global centre of advanced industries and technologies, building world-class hubs for finance, advanced manufacturing, AI, and New Energy.
As part of its initiatives to capitalise on advanced technologies to address pressing needs and future-proof the economy, Abu Dhabi has been launching sector-specific clusters, including the:
- Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industries (SAVI)
- AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA)
- Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine (HELM)
