The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, on Wednesday called for the joint GCC effort to integrate advanced technology, innovation, and 4IR technologies into their industrial sector.
His remarks came during the 48th meeting of the GCC Industrial Cooperation Committee in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The delegates noted that the industrial sector will be a key focus due to its significance to economic diversification, particularly the sectors that incorporate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
The discussions also focused on the development of regulations, policies and laws, and the support for local products.
“There are positive indicators that point to growth in the GCC’s industrial sector, through providing support to the industry, increased innovation and the adoption of advanced technology applications and 4IR solutions,” Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said. “There has also been considerable coordination in priority industrial sectors to enhance their overall performance and global competitiveness.”
He explained that the national efforts to develop the UAE’s industrial sector through the UAE Industry 4.0 program are designed to increase industrial productivity by 30 percent and add AED25 billion to the GDP in the next 10 years.
The program is a key pillar of UAE’s national industrial strategy – Operation 300Bn, which is in line with the new phase of growth and development for the UAE in the next fifty years, that will enhance its position as an incubator of innovative ideas and future industries.
The minister pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated efforts to improve collaboration across the GCC and develop future strategies. This comes in parallel with current efforts to update the GCC Unified Industrial Strategy document in a way that enhances industrial integration, accelerates the development and implementation of programs in strategic industries, and utilises each country’s strengths.