Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector increased its contribution to 53% of UAE’s industrial GDP, which rose 6.6% to $57.22bln in 2024.

The Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy (ADIS) is supercharging the manufacturing sector and accelerating the economic diversification in the emirate. 

Since ADIS's launch in June 2022, the industrial GDP in Abu Dhabi grew 23 percent from AED90.8 billion in 2022 to AED111.6 billion in 2024, and number of industrial enterprises rise 19.4 percent from 925 to 1,104, said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).

Participating in a panel discussion on the opening day of the 4th session of ‘Make it in the Emirates’, Al Zaabi highlighted the initiatives and programmes of the UAE and Abu Dhabi aimed at fostering an investment climate that accelerates industrial growth and unlocks long-term economic resilience.

Al Zaabi added, “The UAE has developed a robust ecosystem that attracts and empowers global talents and high-quality investments as reflected in the significant growth of FDIs in various sectors, including the industrial sector.

He added that the UAE’s industrial strategy has established the right frameworks to stimulate the industrial sector with a strong focus on enhancing resilience to address emerging trends, challenges, and rapid changes through various programmes including talent development, financing, ease of doing business, supply chains, ICV, sustainability, Industry 4.0, and attraction of foreign direct investments.

“We work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) to contribute to ‘Operation 300bn’ aiming to raise the industrial sector GDP to AED300 billion by 2031 and align with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy," he said.

Al Zaabi explained that Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector increased its contribution to 53 percent of UAE’s industrial GDP, which rose 6.6 percent to AED210 billion in 2024. This is compared to a contribution of 51.3 percent to the country’s industrial sector in 2023 and 46 percent in 2022.

“A key component of our soaring ‘Falcon Economy’, ADIS is strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as the region’s most competitive industrial hub. It is guiding the manufacturing sector’s transition to Industry 4.0 and the adoption of smart manufacturing’s methods, techniques, and approaches,” he stated.

Last year, Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector remained the largest non-oil contributor to the emirate’s GDP, accounting for 9.5 percent of total GDP and 17.3 percent of non-oil GDP.

In Q1-2025, the industrial sector continued its growth with the number of new industrial licences rising 4.7 percent t to 89 compared to 85 new licences in the corresponding period last year. The number of industrial licences moved from under-construction to production stage surged by 65 percent to 33 compared to 20 in Q1-2024.

Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy is rapidly emerging as a global centre of advanced industries and technologies, building world-class hubs for finance, advanced manufacturing, AI, and New Energy.

As part of its initiatives to capitalise on advanced technologies to address pressing needs and future-proof the economy, Abu Dhabi has been launching sector-specific clusters, including the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industries (SAVI), AgriFood Growth & Water Abundance (AGWA), and Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine (HELM).