2025 AGENDA
Explore Make it in the Emirates Agenda
Click through each hall to explore the exciting lineup of events, sessions, and activities happening at Make it in the Emirates. Stay informed and plan your visit to make the most of every moment at the event.
The Vision Hall is where ministerial keynotes, leadership panels, and major announcements take place. It is a platform for policymakers and industry leaders to champion innovation, celebrate national industries, and inspire collaboration, pride, and ambition among young Emiratis to play a vital role in the country’s manufacturing future.
- Welcome address and opening remarks
- Make it in the Emirates Awards Film
- Awards presentations – includes all Jury members
- Special recognition and closing with picture on stage with Minister
Education as the catalyst for industrial innovation and economic growth.
In just one year, offtake agreements have increased from AED 143 billion to over AED 160 billion, accelerating localization, job creation, and industrial self-sufficiency. This session will highlight how ICV Champions are partnering with suppliers to build a value-creating ecosystem, expanding UAE manufacturing, generating Emirati jobs, and strengthening resilient, localized supply chains for long-term growth.
ADNOC, EDGE, Modon, TAQA, Mubadala
The ICV Awards Ceremony recognizes and honours the exceptional contributions of organizations and individuals driving the National In-Country Value Programme. These awards celebrate companies and leaders who are strengthening the UAE’s local content, industrial growth, and Emiratization efforts through strategic procurement, investments, and support for SMEs.
Award Categories:
- ICV Champion Award for Best Local Content Practices – Recognizing organizations that effectively incorporate ICV into their procurement strategies.
- ICV Champion Award for National SMEs Development – Honoring those who actively support and invest in local SMEs.
- ICV Champion Award for Excellence in Attracting Investments & Offtake – Rewarding companies that drive offtake projects and attract new investments.
- ICV Award for Excellence in Emiratization – Acknowledging manufacturers that foster Emirati workforce development.
- ICV Award for Excellence in Emiratization – Recognizing service providers committed to Emiratization.
- Excellence Award for Best ICV Certifying Body – Honoring certifying bodies that ensure high standards in ICV verification and compliance.
- ICV Champion Award for Individuals – Recognizing individuals who have made a significant impact in advancing ICV and local content.
- ICV Champion Award for Entrepreneurship in Industry – Celebrating industrial entrepreneurs driving innovation, job creation, and local content development.
This panel will explore the competitive landscape and strategic synergies between the UAE’s key industrial zones, analyzing the incentives, enablers, and policies shaping their success. It will examine how these zones are driving localization, attracting investment, and enhancing supply chain resilience while advancing the 300 Billion Strategy.
With a particular focus on Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Northern Emirates, the discussion will assess whether the dominance of JAFZA and KEZAD is overshadowing opportunities for emerging zones. Panelists will evaluate regional ambitions versus economic realities, uncovering strategies to create a more balanced, high-value industrial ecosystem that fosters long-term growth and competitiveness.
The Momentum Hall is the stage for thought-provoking sessions and partner-led insights spotlighting key sectors and core themes.
Exploring how global manufacturing is evolving amid trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical shifts. This session will provide strategic insights on localisation, technology-driven efficiencies, and risk mitigation in an increasingly volatile economic landscape.
(OEMs, ADIO, Smart Mobility Strategy)
This session explores the transformative role of AI across key industries, from healthcare and education to manufacturing and beyond. Industry leaders will discuss the UAE’s vision for AI-driven innovation, strategies for integration, and how advanced technologies are shaping a smarter, more competitive economy.
AI71, VentureOne, Microsoft, AIQ, MOIAT
Deep technology and space manufacturing are unlocking new industrial frontiers, creating opportunities beyond traditional sectors. From microgravity-based production of high-performance materials to AI-driven automation and quantum technologies, these advancements are reshaping global supply chains and enabling breakthroughs in medicine, energy, and communications. The UAE, with its strategic focus on advanced industries and space exploration, is well-positioned to become a hub for deep-tech development and space-enabled manufacturing. This session will explore how emerging technologies can be leveraged to drive economic growth, industrial innovation, and scientific progress, while also addressing the challenges of infrastructure, investment, and talent development.
This panel highlights the role of women in advancing technology adoption in manufacturing, aligning with the UAE’s vision for inclusion and industrial growth. It will showcase female leaders pioneering AI, automation, and sustainable materials, while exploring their legacy as innovators and change-makers.
A strong and well-structured Quality Infrastructure (QI) system is essential for driving inclusive and sustainable industrial development. By integrating standards, regulations, conformity assessment, metrology, and market surveillance, a national QI framework ensures that products and services adhere to internationally recognized quality benchmarks. This, in turn, strengthens industrial ecosystems, enhances global trade competitiveness, and supports long-term economic sustainability.
This session will convene leading experts from international QI organizations, as well as key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, to explore the critical role of QI in shaping a resilient and future-ready industrial landscape.
The Collaboration Hub is the space for industry briefings and educational workshops, connecting businesses and visitors with key enablers, policymakers and industry experts.
Through strategic briefings from government entities, financial institutions, free zones and industry leaders, visitors will gain insights into incentives, funding, and support programmes. Interactive workshops will equip young entrepreneurs and SMEs with practical knowledge on supply chain localization and digital transformation.
- MBZUAI
- ADIO
- Manufacturing entity with good Emiratization programmer
The Strategy Room is an exclusive, high-level space, designed for strategic roundtables that bring together ministers, industry leaders, and key stakeholders. These closed-door discussions focus on shaping policies, fostering collaboration, and addressing critical challenges to drive the UAE’s industrial and economic agenda forward.
This high-level roundtable brings together CEPA Ministers to engage in a strategic dialogue on cross-border industrial policies and advancing economic cooperation.
With a focus on the UAE’s ambitious industrial strategy and the 300 Billion Strategy, this roundtable will explore policies that support local value chains, drive advanced manufacturing, and position the UAE (and the region) as a global hub for high added value, export-driven industries.
This high-level strategic roundtable will bring together MOIAT and key ICV Champions to assess the progress, challenges, and future direction of the ICV programme across various sectors. Key topics will include:
- ICV Implementation: Evaluating achievements, addressing challenges, and identifying sector-wide improvements.
- ICV 2.0 – The Next Phase: Insights into upcoming developments in the ICV framework and policy evolution.
- Collaboration for Growth: Strengthening partnerships between the government, large enterprises, and SMEs to accelerate ICV adoption.
- Sustainability and Green ICV: Exploring the integration of sustainable practices, green ICV strategies, and economic decarbonization to align industrial growth with national sustainability goals.
Hosted by MOIAT, this roundtable will bring together key ICV accreditation partners to discuss the evolution and future direction of the ICV certification framework.
