Emirates News Agency – Abu Dhabi Economy: 136 new industrial licenses during the first half

ABU DHABI, 12th September / WAM / The semi-annual report of the Industrial Development Bureau of the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi revealed the strength of the growth of the industrial sector in the emirate, as the number of new industrial licenses “Rowad” reached 136, and licenses that have been transferred to the construction phase are 62. The number of licenses that moved from the construction stage to actual production reached 44 factories, and the number of factories operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi reached 866 facilities.

The value of capital expenditures for factories that entered the production stage rose to 3.1 billion dirhams, compared to 1.03 billion dirhams during the same period last year.

The report showed the achievement of a number of positive indicators, as the number of tenders won by companies holding the In-Country Value Certificate (ICV) within the Abu Dhabi Local Content Program increased to 466 by the end of the first half of this year, compared to 95 tenders during the same period last year. The value of these tenders increased from 556 million dirhams during the first half of last year to 970.5 million dirhams during the first 6 months of this year.

The rate of return to the local economy amounted to 41.9% of the total tenders won by companies that obtained the local value certificate, which means that 407 million dirhams were reinjected into the local economy, which contributes to encouraging local products, compared to 215.2 million dirhams during the first half of last year.

During the first half of this year, the tenders won by companies holding the In-Country Value Certificate amounted to 56.1% of the total number of government tenders, which amounted to 827, and 72.8% of the total value of government tenders, which amounted to 1.33 billion dirhams.

The Abu Dhabi Local Content Program contributes to increasing the emirate’s GDP, enhancing the knowledge economy, using technology and increasing Emiratisation rates. The percentage of workers who occupy highly skilled jobs reached 41% of the total workers in factories benefiting from the incentive program through electricity tariffs.

The report pointed to the continuous growth in the interest of industrial establishments in the Golden List initiative, which aims to increase the demand for locally manufactured products by giving them preference in government purchases, as the number of factories included in the list increased from 111 at the end of last year 2021 to 127 industrial facilities, an increase of 14.4% by the end of the half The first, while the products included in the golden list increased, during the same period, from 489 to 655 products, with a growth rate of 33.9%.

The report of the Industrial Development Bureau indicated that the value of the customs exemption for the industry inputs that the factories operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi benefited from during the first half amounted to 1.02 billion dirhams, while 5 new factories obtained the certificate of the Electricity Tariff Stimulation Program, which contributes to increasing the productivity of industrial facilities and enhancing their economic impact. and improving its energy efficiency by providing competitive electricity tariff prices.

His Excellency Rashid Abdul Karim Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, said: “The positive indicators of the semi-annual report of the Industrial Development Bureau reflect the strength of the sector in Abu Dhabi, which is a cornerstone in achieving economic diversification goals, as it represents the largest non-oil sectors in terms of contribution to the output. Abu Dhabi’s GDP, in addition to the job opportunities it provides and its role in the knowledge and innovation economy.”

His Excellency added: “We will continue our efforts during the coming period to enhance ease of doing business, support industrial financing, and attract foreign direct investment to achieve the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, which was launched at the end of last June, to consolidate the emirate’s position as the most competitive industrial center in the region by investing 10 billion dirhams in six programs, doubling the size of the sector to 172 billion dirhams by 2031, and creating 13,600 additional specialized job opportunities suitable for Emirati technical cadres.

As part of the efforts of the Industrial Development Bureau to ensure that industrial facilities comply with the laws and regulatory framework, comply with the conditions and standards of industrial licenses, and provide technical and administrative guidance to raise the level of performance of industrial facilities, it organized 741 field visits during the first half of the year for 576 industrial facilities, including 417 facilities in Abu Dhabi, 143 facilities in Al Ain and 16 A facility in Al Dhafra, and the total investments of these facilities exceed 2.5 billion dirhams.

The Industrial Development Bureau is working to expand the scope of the self-monitoring program, which allows industrial facilities that are characterized by high levels of compliance to submit reports of technical visits on their own to more than 80 industrial facilities during the next year 2023, compared to 43 facilities in the first half of this year, by training workers. In industrial establishments, especially UAE nationals, in aspects related to strengthening governance.

His Excellency Sameh Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Director General of Economic Affairs at the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, said: “The Industrial Development Bureau is implementing various initiatives to achieve the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, and as part of our efforts to support the transition to technologies and solutions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Smart Manufacturing Program contributed to conducting an assessment We have strengthened our partnerships with leading global bodies to ensure the support of industrial enterprises in the process of transitioning to the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and a circular, smart and sustainable economy.”

The report of the Industrial Development Bureau for the first half of this year confirmed significant progress in enhancing the competitiveness of the financing environment for the industrial sector, as it signed memoranda of understanding with ten banks operating in the country, the Union Export Credit Company, the Abu Dhabi Export Office, the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange and the Maqta Gateway to support various financing options. for industrial facilities.