During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE Minister of State, has called on world governments to team up and work together towards establishing partnerships in the field of technology.
Al Jaber lectured on a sideline seminar organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the permanent missions of the Emirate and the Russian Federation to the UN and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit. Many officials attended the seminar, including Vasily Osmakov, the Russian deputy minister of industry and trade, and Li Yong, the director general of UNIDO.
According to Al Jaber, we now live in the era of the so-called ”Fourth Industrial Revolution.” The technological advancement nowadays is so fast that it not only cross geographical boundaries and bring people together but also lead to adaptation issues and massive disruptions, said Al Jaber. Although it is the fourth-largest oil exporter globally, Abu Dhabi has been working hard to diversify its economy and make it less dependent on oil. In the past few years, the Emirate has been looking for ways to foster private sector industrial partnerships.
So far, the Emirate managed to diversify and advance its manufacturing base. It includes petrochemicals, plastic, metals, aerospace, machinery, and more. Next to that, the government in Abu Dhabi has invested in cutting-edge sustainable technologies, as well as in oil and gas sectors to make the Emirate a leading hub for all innovative forms of energy. Earlier this year, the UAE Minister of Economy, Sultan Al Mansouri confirmed the UAE investments in industry surpassed Dh 112 billion in 2016, equal to 86% of the total spending in the field.
In the spring of 2017, Abu Dhabi along with UNIDO organized the world’s first Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit. It was attended by 3,000 people including head of states, prime ministers, and top managers of more than 2,000 international companies.