Strategic Partners
Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology
Host
Established in July 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) aims to boost the UAE’s industrial sector and increase its contribution to the GDP. The Office of the Minister of State for Advanced Technology, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and the Industry sector in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure have been merged into the structure of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology since then, and all authorities, responsibilities and duties have been transferred to the newly founded Ministry.
Ministry of Culture
Co-Host
The Ministry of Culture, in line with its vision of “A culture that inspires the world and empowers young people to create the future,” is committed to enriching the cultural sector in the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry achieves this by supporting Emirati cultural, artistic, and heritage institutions, providing a platform for creative and talented individuals across various fields, and promoting dialogue between different cultures. Additionally, the Ministry collaborates with strategic partners to deliver impactful outcomes that reflect the UAE’s vibrant and diverse cultural scene at the local, regional, and global levels.
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Co-Host
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is the government entity responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ADIO enables opportunities for innovative investors and businesses of all sizes, facilitating connections across Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem to help them establish and grow in the emirate. With a comprehensive range of tailored services and incentives, ADIO helps businesses achieve long-term, sustainable success in the market and across the region.
ADNOC
Co-Host
Founded in 1971, ADNOC is a leading diversified energy group, wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. Our network of fully integrated businesses operates across the energy value chain, helping us to responsibly meet the demands of an ever-changing energy market.
Already in the top tier of the lowest carbon intensity oil and gas producers in the world, we are taking significant steps to make today’s energy cleaner while investing in the clean energies of tomorrow, strengthening our position as a reliable and responsible global energy provider.
We are allocating an initial $23 billion to advance and accelerate lower-carbon solutions, investing in new energies and decarbonization technologies to enable our net zero by 2045 ambition and our commitment to zero methane emissions by 2030.
Partners & Sponsors
Tawazun Council
Sector Enabling Partner
Tawazun Economic Council (TEC) was founded in 1992 to support a vision of comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development within the UAE.
Through the implementation of its economic development program initiatives, TEC acts as a key enabler for the development of defense and security industries in the UAE. TEC provides the needed inputs for the defense industrial development including attracting additional local and foreign capital into the industry as well as actively supporting the SME segment.
TEC targets new capability development, technology transfer and accelerated adoption of new technologies in the defense & security industrial sector thereby contributing to economic diversification.
Since its establishment, TEC has enabled creation of more than 90 companies and investment vehicles, covering 11 sectors, including defense manufacturing. These companies continue play a vital role in boosting economic growth in the UAE.
NMDC Group
Enablement Partner
NMDC Group is a key player in the field of marine dredging and EPC, operating across a range of sectors, and contributing to some of the region’s most ambitious projects. The Group is made up of four business units: NMDC Dredging & Marine, NMDC Energy (formerly NPCC), NMDC Engineering and NMDC Construction (formerly Emarat Europe).
Kezad Group
Enablement Partner
KEZAD Group, part of AD Ports Group, is the largest operator of fully integrated and purpose-built economic zones in the United Arab Emirates, offering regional and international companies with easy access to key global markets, competitive costs, smooth set up, and business facilities for seamless operations.
KEZAD Group builds open, agile and integrated business environments that attract foreign and local investments to Abu Dhabi by offering world-class transportation infrastructure with multimodal connectivity by road, ports, air, and rail networks, 100 percent foreign ownership, 100 percent repatriation of capital and profit, the potential for duty-free trade within the region, and advanced technology platforms that integrate port community systems with its 12 economic zones.
By building competitive and friendly business ecosystems in KEZAD that foster innovation and collaboration, KEZAD Group is leading the implementation of the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, and enabling the UAE leadership’s vision for economic diversification.
Emirates Development Bank (EDB)
Enablement Partner
Emirates Development Bank (EDB) is the key financial engine of economic development and industrial transformation in the UAE and the key enabler of the nation’s industrial development strategy. EDB provides financial and non-financial support to businesses of all sizes from start-ups and SMEs to large corporates, driving economic competitiveness and business growth. The Bank strives to maximize national economic impact and contributions to non-oil GDP, national employment, and in-country value generation by financing the right transactions that drive development across five priority sectors: Manufacturing, Food Security, Healthcare, Advanced Technology, and Renewables.
As the only development bank in the UAE, EDB focuses on economic impact over profitability and fosters partnerships to extend the reach of its services to a wider spectrum of businesses, driving economic resilience and competitiveness.
Beyond its financing products, EDB provides a range of non-financial solutions ranging from financial literacy training to mentoring and business operations guidance tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs and SMEs to drive their contribution to the national economy.
To help kick-start businesses for startups, EDB also offers seamless and quick account opening services and loan applications via its Business Banking App.
EDGE Group
Sector Partner
EDGE is an advanced technology group established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond. Enabling a secure future, it is dedicated to bringing innovative technologies and services to market with greater speed and efficiency.
Starting with breakthrough innovations in the strategically important sector of defence, EDGE places a priority on national security. Consolidating over 25 entities and employing more than 12,000 brilliant minds, it offers expertise across five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence, and Mission Support.
At the forefront of development, EDGE converges commercial market innovations with military capabilities. Working with front-line operators and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials, its disruptive solutions are based on the intricate and intuitive needs of the industry. EDGE embeds artificial intelligence across its products and services, creating interoperability and developing cross-domain expertise – to respond to an era where adaptability is vital. Leveraging local and international partnerships across the defence and technology spectrum, it is a magnet for exceptional talent and global expertise, reimaging capabilities with research and development at its core.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, EDGE is a catalyst for change – promoting fast, precise decision-making to revolutionise the industry and change its fundamentals.
Emsteel Group
Sector Partner
Emsteel is a public joint stock company (ADX: EMSTEEL) and the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer. The Group incorporates the latest innovative technologies in manufacturing, efficiency and sustainability, to deliver the high-quality products, services and solutions that you need for your business to thrive today and tomorrow.
EMSTEEL produces home-grown high-quality steel products that are shipped and used across the world and delivered into major global markets, for the construction, engineering and energy sectors. Additionally, the Group produces premium cement, blocks, pipes, and dry mortar, creating a one-stop shop for the manufacturing and construction sectors.
At EMSTEEL, we are committed to refining our manufacturing processes and creating steel and building materials sustainably and safely, whilst supporting the growth of the non-oil heavy industry sector in the United Arab Emirates.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)
Sector Partner
Emirates Global Aluminium is the world’s largest ‘premium aluminium’ producer and the biggest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas.
EGA is an integrated aluminium producer, with operations on four continents from bauxite mining to the production of cast primary aluminium and recycling. EGA operates aluminium smelters in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah in the United Arab Emirates, an alumina refinery in Al Taweelah, a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea, a speciality foundry in high strength recycled aluminium in Germany, and a recycling plant in the United States
EGA produces one-in-every-25 tonnes of aluminium made worldwide, and supplies customers in more than 50 countries. The growing broader aluminium sector in the UAE supports more than 57,000 jobs. Aluminium is among the world’s most versatile metals, and EGA’s global customers transform it into products that make modern life possible. EGA’s aluminium is primarily used in the construction, automotive, packaging, aerospace and electronics industries.
As a corporate citizen of the UAE, EGA aspires in all its operations to be measured amongst the world’s leading metals and mining companies in meeting its environmental and social responsibilities.
Arab Basalt Fiber Company
Associate Sponsor
Arab basalt fiber company is the first facility of its kind in the arab world. The company produces Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebar for concrete tensile purposes which is a non-rusting alternative to steel rebar.
We produce Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebar that is widely recognized around the world as (BFRP Rebar). This rebar is reinforcing material produced naturally from lava rocks such as basalt, gabbro and diorite, where rocks are melted at high temperatures to produce Basalt Fiber. Through the a pultrusion process, the fibers are folded, rolled and treated with polymer to produce environmentally friendly reinforcing bar.
RAK Ceramics
Associate Sponsor
RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramic brands in the world, specializing in ceramic and gres porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitary ware, and faucets. With the capacity to produce 118 million square meters of tiles, 5.7 million pieces of sanitary ware, 26 million pieces of porcelain tableware, and 2.6 million pieces of faucets per year, RAK Ceramics operates 23 state-of-the-art plants across the UAE, India, Bangladesh and Europe. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the UAE, RAK Ceramics serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of operational hubs. The company is publicly listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and has an annual turnover of approximately USD 1 billion.
Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI)
Associate Sponsor
Etihad Credit Insurance, the UAE’s federal export credit company, offers businesses, financial institutions and investors innovative solutions that catalyse and consolidate international trade. The company provides a wide range of solutions and products such as export credit insurance, risk mitigation insurance, comprehensive market intelligence, export strategy and access to finance.
Established in 2018, ECI holds an ‘AA-’ Fitch Rating, which the company has successfully maintained for seven consecutive years. ECI is the first export credit agency to join the UAE’s KYC Blockchain Platform, led by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The company is also a member of the widely acclaimed Berne Union and an affiliate member of the UN Environment Programme – Finance Initiative’s NZECA.
ECI is dedicated to fostering sustainability and non-oil trade to support the resilience and diversification of the UAE economy, while empowering businesses to conduct seamless global trade by providing robust credit solutions and expert market insights. One of the prominent initiatives by ECI to support businesses is ‘Xport Xponential,’ which provides UAE-based exporters, re-exporters and manufacturers with requisite financial tools, advisory support, and access to global markets. Guided by the core organisational values of protection, customer-centricity, integrity, collaboration, global competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability, ECI remains committed to ensuring client success.
