► EDGE Group Statement on New MoIAT Industrial Strategy ‘Operation 300bn’
30 March 2021
H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director, EDGE
As the UAE’s advanced technology group for defence and beyond – with over ten key manufacturing companies within our portfolio, we are proud to support the announcement made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai last week Monday, to launch ‘Operation 300bn’ – a national industrial strategy aimed at raising the manufacturing sector’s GDP contribution from Dh133 to Dh300 billion over the next 10 years.
Aligned to three out of the four main objectives of ‘Operation 300bn’ set out by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), EDGE is developing a defence industrial base in the UAE to generate in-country value, develop sovereign capabilities and position the UAE as a serious global player within the advanced technology industry. We are exporting our ‘Made in the UAE’ products globally to contribute to the nation’s GDP.
EDGE has also placed a priority on R&D investment, emerging technologies, and intellectual property (IP) localisation to encourage innovation. We are undergoing a group wide digital transformation programme to streamline business processes and gain complete visibility and transparency to benefit real-time decision-making – to ultimately be prepared for a more technologically advanced and agile future.
Finally, we have developed a clear career path within the advanced technology sector for the next generation of talent to thrive, and to upskill current personnel through our upcoming modern learning and innovation factory 4.0, establishing the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries.
We welcome MoIAT’s industrial strategy that is set to shape the future for a more integrated ecosystem – where collectively we will be able to build greater pride around the ‘make it in the UAE’ initiative, create a more sustainable industrial base that prioritises product export, leverage R&D spend and talent attraction for the most impactful outcomes, and position the UAE as a manufacturing powerhouse. EDGE offers its full support to MoIAT in sharing experiences and best practice for the benefit of others in our national industries – in domains such as IP classification, digital transformation, learning and innovation around industry 4.0, and operational excellence. We will make this knowledge available to local industries through collaboration with MoIAT.
