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Hugh Fraser was delighted to have taken part in a panel discussion "𝙉𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩” with Niall Urquhart, Neil McLauchlan and Brent Brough on the first day of Make it in the Emirates 2025.  The panel was hosted by Canadian Business Council Abu Dhabi, supported by British Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi and BeNeLux Business Council.

The Make It in the Emirates Forum 2025 represents a pivotal moment in the UAE’s industrial transformation, tracking the evolution of the In-Country Value (ICV) program since its launch in 2020. Originally developed within ADNOC Group, ICV has now expanded under the Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology | وزارة الصناعة والتكنولوجيا المتقدمة (MoIAT) to enhance local manufacturing, strengthen supply chain resilience, and drive economic diversification. The forum provides a key platform for assessing progress, fostering strategic partnerships, and accelerating the UAE’s shift toward industrial self-sufficiency.

The UAE’s industrial evolution is reshaping market dynamics, demanding that international businesses integrate technology transfer, local production capabilities, and Emirati workforce development into their long-term strategies. Make It in the Emirates 2025 is facilitating this transition by creating investment opportunities worth over AED 160 billion, securing procurement deals, and highlighting strategic incentives for companies that align with the UAE’s economic vision. These measures are ensuring that the UAE remains at the forefront of sustainable energy, manufacturing, and technological leadership.

The Energy Industries Council (EIC) DataStream service is currently tracking 150 major energy sector projects in the UAE across upstream oil & gas, refineries, petrochemicals, nuclear and renewables, representing US$224 billion of opportunities. This is almost 30% of the current total GCC US$776 billion energy contracts market size.

Technology Transfer Local Manufacturing Ventures are a key aspect of HFI’s Abu Dhabi Ventures Initiative (ADVI). ADVI supports advanced petroleum technology and energy transition ventures relating to ADNOC Group-driven opportunities in the UAE, with a growing emphasis on the KEZAD Group special economic zone (focused on the ADNOC supply chain) and free zone (focused on exporters).

The days of the UAE being an imports-driven economy are numbered and it is increasingly clear that only international businesses which can offer technology/know-how transfer into local manufacturing and national employment will fit with the UAE strategic ambitions.