Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Tawazun & Thales launch ‘GO to UAE’ initiative

Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Tawazun & Thales launch ‘GO to UAE’ initiative to enhance national export capabilities

• Tawazun and Thales’ GO to UAE is part of the Make it in the Emirates program, launched by MoIAT
• Tawazun: This initiative serves a dual purpose by significantly contributing to the in-country value program
• New partnership will boost exports of UAE-made products and create highly skilled job opportunities
• This initiative supports the vision of the government and is benefiting from the growing activities of Thales Emarat Technologies (TET) in the UAE

Under the support of the Ministry and Advanced Technology, Thales has launched a new initiative, in promoting Made in the Emirates mark products and expertise worldwide, and developing a skilled local talent pool, as part of the Make it in the Emirates intiative.

Launched on day 2 of the Make it in the Emirates Forum, the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Tawazun Council and is being supported by MoIAT. It also contributes to Thales' fulfillment of Tawazun Economic Program obligations.

Called Go to UAE, the Thales initiative will aim to have an industrial footprint by starting to grow local supplier for local and export needs through a range of international certifications for technologies, parts, and services. These industry-accredited certifications will allow domestic suppliers to export Made in the Emirates parts and services to Thales Group entities across the globe. 

A Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on the ‘Go to UAE’ Program was signed in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and His Excellency Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Deputy Secretary General of Tawazun Council.

The MOU was signed by of H.E. Osama Amir Fadel, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Accelerators of MOIAT, Muammar Abushehab, Chief of Defense and Security Industry Affairs Sector at Tawazun Council and Bernard Roux, CEO of Thales Emarat Technologies.

His Excellency Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), commented: “The UAE’s growing reputation as a global industrial hub is attracting business from major corporations. GO to UAE is testament to the fact that the UAE is a fertile ground for industry and is the ideal location for industrial investors to establish themselves. MoIAT remains committed to supporting local industrial companies to meet global standards to help further boost exports. The UAE is regarded as a manufacturer of quality goods that aligns with international standards and we hope to build further partnerships with corporations from across sectors as we pursue our economic and sustainable industrial growth objectives.”

As part of this program, Thales will set up a comprehensive training and development plan with the objective of supporting UAE suppliers in increasing performance and competitiveness.

UAE Suppliers will benefit from this program by integrating with opportunities across Thales Global Supply Chain and will also be able to leverage this relationship and its industry standing when promoting their business activities to wider export markets.

The new program was launched by Thales at the second edition of Make it in the Emirates Forum, hosted over two days at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center. In partnership with Abu Dhabi Economic Department and ADNOC, the forum brings together the largest industrial companies and enablers from across the UAE to share their procurement plans and significant investment opportunities, and to discuss how these translate into local manufacturing investment opportunities. The participating companies prioritize local products and invest in UAE-based manufacturing and production through innovative programs, such as Thales’ GO to UAE.

Commenting on the MOU, H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Deputy Secretary General of Tawazun Council said: “We are excited to partner with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Thales on the 'Go to the UAE' program, which plays a crucial role in achieving the goals of the Tawazun Economic Program.”

“This initiative serves a dual purpose by significantly contributing to the in-country value program, enhancing local manufacturing capabilities, and promoting the growth of indigenous expertise. Additionally, it will create numerous skilled job opportunities, empowering UAE citizens across the defense supply chain.” he added.

Roque Carmona, SVP Group chief procurement at Thales: “The Make it in the Emirates Forum directly supports the UAE’s economic diversification strategy and the country’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness of national industries. This technical knowledge transfer and upskilling will benefit the country in its quest to improve sovereignty, localize essential manufacturing and create highly skilled job opportunities. The UAE’s industrial ecosystem make it the ideal country for establishing such a program”

“We are proud to launch our GO to UAE initiative as part of those efforts and to leverage our knowhow and global reach to enhance the prospects of UAE companies across the supply chain.” he added. 

The new partnership works in synchronization with Thales Emarat Technologies (TET), part of the Tawazun Economic Program, which that aims to assist sustainable technology transfer and support the creation of local jobs and careers in the country. Through TET, Thales provides the UAE with unique and sovereign technology capabilities in line with its ambitious future plans, which will support and boost the UAE exports to the world. 

*- GO to UAE is an internal branded program launched by Thales in the UAE 

About the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology 

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) was established in July 2020 to boost the industrial sector's contribution to the UAE's GDP and drive sustainable industrial development. The ministry was formed by combining the Office of the Minister of State for Advanced Technology, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), and the industrial department of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

MoIAT is responsible for formulating policies, laws, and programs that attract foreign direct investment, enhance national added value, support entrepreneurship, create jobs, attract talents, upskill national cadres, promote exports and raise the competitiveness of products manufactured in the UAE. To achieve these objectives, MoIAT has created an advanced national quality infrastructure system.

MoIAT leverages its expertise, capabilities, and resources to strengthen the national industrial ecosystem by facilitating the establishment of industrial zones, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies and the integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions and enabling the growth of priority sectors as well as industries of the future. The ministry’s work contributes to national efforts to build a diversified, knowledge-based economy and achieve industrial self-sufficiency.

The ministry is a key driver of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and is playing an important role in the country’s COP28 agenda. 

About Thales  

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies within three domains: Defense & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Digital Identity & Security. It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as quantum technologies, Edge computing, 6G and cybersecurity.

Thales has 77,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2022, the Group generated sales of €17.6 billion.

About Thales Emarat Technologies  

Thales Emarat Technologies (TET) is part of the Tawazun Economic Program. TET is 100% owned by Thales and focuses on centers of excellence for critical systems and a variety of defense and digital aerospace technologies. TET is the vector of Thales’s strategy to be integrated in the local Emirati industrial ecosystem in order to create value and economic impact in the short and medium term. It aims at providing the United Arab Emirates with unique and sovereign technology capabilities in line with UAE Vision. 

TET focuses on the development of local engineering capabilities and will foster local partnerships and cooperation with industrial stakeholders. TET offers strong local industrial technology base to support growth, education, localization, and the industrialization strategies of the UAE. 

About Tawazun Council

Tawazun Council is an independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defense and security agencies in the United Arab Emirates. The Council contributes to maximizing value through innovative budgeting and acquisition systems, and by sustaining technology & innovation to support national industry needs through robust regulations to ensure superior quality.  It also seeks to accelerate ecosystem growth by developing capabilities, driving local content, and creating in-country value.