The UAE’s commitment to cultural heritage and industrial excellence is not about choosing between tradition and progress—it is about harmonizing the two. By investing in heritage-based industries, the UAE’s empower artisans, inspire innovation, and strengthen local supply chains, ensuring that the UAE’s manufacturing future is deeply rooted in its cultural past

This session will explore how the Industrial Alliance is advancing supply chain resilience, economic diversification, and industrial collaboration among member countries.

As part of the Year of the Community, this session reflects the values of inclusion and integration through a unique industrial and human success story. It will highlight the experience of producing hearing aids for people with hearing disabilities, through a joint project that involves People of Determination in the production lines — not just as beneficiaries, but as active participants in design, manufacturing, and quality control.

The session will highlight key strategies and national efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment as a catalyst for industrial transformation in alignment with the goals of Operation 300bn. It will also offer an opportunity to explore investment prospects and gain valuable insights into the UAE’s industrial ecosystem.

An inspiring discussion panel hosted by Sara Al Rifai, featuring three of the UAE’s most prominent entrepreneurs who successfully took their brands from the local market to the global stage.

The session will explore their exceptional journeys, how each overcame challenges, and built brands that gained international market trust. Topics will include expansion strategies, the importance of visual identity, emotional marketing, customer experience, balancing local authenticity with global appeal, and their advice on turning outstanding youth-led projects into global brands born in the UAE and launched to the world

The ICV Recognition event recognizes and honors 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.

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.

This open discussion will focus on the importance of supporting local industries and exporting them regionally and internationally, and explore how to revive traditional industries and highlight their cultural and heritage value, and whether the UAE and the Arab world are ready to compete globally — from simple manufacturing to advanced industry and technology.

The session will share experiences and insights with Emirati youth and will include a Q&A segment where young participants can ask questions directly.

The UAE is rapidly positioning itself as a global hub for advanced technology and innovation. This dialogue session will explore the pivotal role of research and development in achieving these aspirations, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities within the UAE’s ecosystem. The conversation will cover how to foster a robust R&D culture and will offer insights into the vision for the future of advanced technology in the UAE, highlighting the country’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of innovation.

As manufacturing becomes increasingly digitized, the ability to securely share and utilize data across enterprises is a key enabler of innovation, efficiency, and the UAE’s global competitiveness. Data spaces—interoperable, secure environments for data exchange—are emerging as critical infrastructure for Industry 4.0.  This session explores how data spaces can transform manufacturing by enabling real-time collaboration, support in organisations track their impact on the climate, supply chain transparency, and advanced analytics while ensuring data sovereignty. Experts will provide insights into the foundational technologies and examine how governments and industries can co-create trusted frameworks.

The UAE is rapidly emerging as a global powerhouse in chemical manufacturing and investment, leveraging its strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and commitment to sustainable industrial growth. This panel will delve into how the UAE’s expanding chemicals sector is driving global and regional leadership, strengthening supply chain resilience, and advancing the country’s economic diversification efforts.

In this fireside chat, we will explore the exciting intersection of longevity and biopharmaceutical manufacturing in the UAE. As the country positions itself as a global leader in innovation and healthcare, we will delve into the latest advancements in biopharma and explore the opportunities for investors.

As the UAE accelerates its industrial transformation under the Operation 300Bn strategy, youth empowerment remains a critical driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development in manufacturing. The participation of young Emiratis in shaping the nation’s industrial future is fundamental to achieving long-term economic sustainability and global competitiveness. The session will provide an invaluable perspective on how the UAE is integrating youth into its manufacturing and industrial strategies, inspiring young talents to take an active role in the country’s future.

The session aims to explore investment and innovation opportunities in Advanced Materials and Composites,  emphasizing their transformative impact on the UAE’s industrial sector

As the UAE accelerates its industrial transformation under the Make it in the Emirates initiative, agritech has emerged as a vital pillar for ensuring long-term food resilience and economic diversification. This high-level panel gathers innovation and strategy leaders from the Agritech sector to explore how investment in cutting-edge agricultural technologies is reshaping production, enhancing self-sufficiency, and positioning the UAE as a hub for sustainable food innovation.

While gender inclusion is a crucial discussion, this panel will go beyond traditional conversations about representation. Instead, it will highlight the tangible impact women are making in industrial transformation, advanced manufacturing, and economic growth—positioning them as key drivers of innovation and competitiveness.

This panel will explore the critical role that family offices play in driving industrial growth. Leveraging unique strengths like agile decision-making, long-term commitment, and sustainable practices, family offices are increasingly influential in shaping industrial landscapes, funding infrastructure, and boosting sustainable manufacturing. Panelists will discuss the distinctive advantages and inherent challenges family businesses encounter when investing in industrial sectors, examining how they effectively bridge the gap between wealth management and hands-on industrial development.

The panel will examine the crucial role of science diplomacy in driving the UAE’s transformation into a global manufacturing powerhouse. It will focus on how the UAE can harness international partnerships and facilitate knowledge transfer to integrate advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, and 3D printing into its manufacturing sector. The discussion will highlight how collaborations with global innovation leaders, research institutions, and technology institutes can promote joint R&D, accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies in the UAE, and ease barriers to their exchange. These partnerships will empower the UAE to enhance its production capabilities, foster technological progress, and create a robust, future-ready manufacturing ecosystem.

This panel will explore how the UAE can elevate its pharmaceutical sector from import reliance and generic drug production to a global leader in biotech, precision medicine, and advanced drug manufacturing. It will focus on innovation, digital transformation, and investment strategies that will define the next decade of UAE’s pharmaceutical industry. 

This open conversation brings together a group of leading Emirati entrepreneurs and experts who built their success from real-world experience. The session focuses on promising opportunities for youth to benefit from the current industrial and technological momentum in the UAE, and highlights inspiring success stories in advanced sectors such as perfumery, artificial intelligence, and medical innovation — all tied together by passion, entrepreneurship, and the smart use of technology.

This high-level panel discussion will spotlight a world-first achievement in renewable energy: the development of a 5.2GW solar PV plant combined with a 19GWh battery storage system – delivering 1GW of baseload clean power 24/7. The initiative, championed by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and led by Masdar and EWEC, is a model of how innovation and scale can address the global challenge of renewable intermittency. Hear from Masdar and EWEC to learn more about the engineering, policy, investment, and environmental significance of this transformative project, which positions the UAE as a global leader in clean energy innovation.

The steel industry plays a major role in GHG emissions, but the shift towards green steel is rapidly gaining traction as various sectors express a strong demand and readiness to invest in sustainable alternatives. Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring industry leaders from across the low-emission steel value chain, where we delve into the future of decarbonization in the UAE’s steel manufacturing sector.

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the growth of UAE-based SMEs, the Emirates Growth Fund (EGF)—the UAE’s flagship growth equity platform—is hosting a focused workshop designed to guide prospective applicants through the EGF investment journey. Led by EGF’s senior leadership, the session will offer practical insights into the Fund’s eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and sector alignment. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to position their businesses for long-term growth capital and what to expect when partnering with EGF, from application through post-investment value creation.

A strong and efficient Quality Infrastructure (QI) system is essential for building a more inclusive and sustainable industrial future, especially for the next generation. By developing a national framework that includes standards, regulations, conformity, metrological systems, and market surveillance, countries can ensure that products and services meet global quality standards. This ultimately supports a thriving, sustainable industrial ecosystem and strengthens international trade.

This session will bring together young professional from both programs national and IEC, participants are from public and private sectors to discuss how Quality Infrastructure can help shape the future of industries. They will explore the role of QI in building a more sustainable world, the impact of the available training for youth in both national and international level is paving the way for a better, more innovative future.

Hosted by MOIAT, this roundtable will bring together key ICV accreditation partners to discuss the evolution and future direction of the ICV certification framework.