Ahead of ‘Make it in The Emirates’, Dubai Launches Schemes to Boost Local Manufacturing and Economic Growth

As part of its D33 strategy, Dubai wants to double its economy to Dh32 trillion over the next ten years and place the emirate among the top three global cities.

Dubai has launched a program encouraging government agencies to boost the local manufacturing industry to spend more on domestic vendors.

The Dubai Media Office announced on Sunday that the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Department of Finance (DOF) have started the Dubai in-Country Value (ICV) Program to create more opportunities for local manufacturers and Emirati-owned companies.

The criteria for ICV will be introduced into the sourcing process by seven government agencies: municipality, health, police, Roads and Transport Authority, customs, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and Dubai Airports.

Hadi Badri, chief executive of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), the economic development arm of DET, stated that the program will help strengthen the emirate’s industrial base and promote sustainable economic growth, highlighting how unified government procurement can help local manufacturers and small businesses scale up with purpose.

He added that they are strengthening supply chain reliance, encouraging self-sufficiency, and strengthening its global competitiveness to ensure that Dubai becomes a centre for high-value production and innovation by prioritizing in-country value more.

As part of its D33 strategy, Dubai, the Middle East‘s commercial and tourism center, wants to double its economy to Dh32 trillion over the next ten years and place the emirate among the top three global cities.

The D33 strategy aims to introduce a variety of innovative projects that will give sustainable economic growth and double gross domestic product (GDP) by 2033.

The strategy aims to help 30 private companies become “unicorns” or start-ups with a valuation of at least $1 billion.

By 2033, the D33 agenda also seeks to show the country as the world’s leading digital economy, the most rapidly expanding and attracting global business hub, a center for sustainability and economic diversification, and a breeding ground for Emirati talent.

Ahead of the fourth “Make It in the Emirates” event in Abu Dhabi, from May 19 to May 22, the emirates announced its ICV project. The annual event, five times bigger than the 2024 edition, will have more than 700 exhibitors. The year’s main topic is Advanced Industries Accelerated, with AI and Industry 5.0.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) focuses on growing non-oil industries, including domestic manufacturing, as part of its economic diversification strategy.

According to the announcement, its new initiative will be delivered through the TASHAROK shared procurement platform, which covers 42 product categories and gives government agencies preferred rates.

TASHAROK will incorporate ICV criteria through a hybrid model comprising seven crucial government agencies, including Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), Road and Transport Authority (RTA), and airports, covering across 42 product categories, ranging from office supplies to medical consumables. These organisations will sign framework agreements with authorized vendors to promote a uniform procurement strategy.

According to the statement, the scheme will also help to keep a greater portion of government spending in Dubai’s economy, further supporting gross domestic product development.

The scheme aims to persuade government agencies to give preference to suppliers with strong local skills from manufacturers and Emirati-owned companies, to companies that employ local talent and operate within the emirates.

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Department of Finance (DOF) have implemented a series of specialised workshops to increase the capacity of the lead buyers and ensure that they properly implement this scheme. The sessions will give comprehensive information that will evaluate the local manufacturing content in procurement decisions, including ICV criteria into TASHAROK sourcing strategies, and calculating the economic impact to ensure that there are measurable results through the government procurement ecosystem.