Launched on day 2 of the Make it in the Emirates Forum, the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Tawazun Council and is being supported by MoIAT. It also contributes to Thales' fulfillment of Tawazun Economic Program obligations.
Called Go to UAE, the Thales initiative will aim to have an industrial footprint by starting to grow local supplier for local and export needs through a range of international certifications for technologies, parts, and services. These industry-accredited certifications will allow domestic suppliers to export Made in the Emirates parts and services to Thales Group entities across the globe.
A Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on the ‘Go to UAE’ Program was signed in the presence of Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Deputy Secretary General of Tawazun Council.
The MOU was signed by of Osama Amir Fadel, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Accelerators of MOIAT, Muammar Abushehab, Chief of Defense and Security Industry Affairs Sector at Tawazun Council and Bernard Roux, CEO of Thales Emarat Technologies.
Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), commented:
“The UAE’s growing reputation as a global industrial hub is attracting business from major corporations. GO to UAE is testament to the fact that the UAE is a fertile ground for industry and is the ideal location for industrial investors to establish themselves. MoIAT remains committed to supporting local industrial companies to meet global standards to help further boost exports. The UAE is regarded as a manufacturer of quality goods that aligns with international standards and we hope to build further partnerships with corporations from across sectors as we pursue our economic and sustainable industrial growth objectives.”
As part of this program, Thales will set up a comprehensive training and development plan with the objective of supporting UAE suppliers in increasing performance and competitiveness.
UAE Suppliers will benefit from this program by integrating with opportunities across Thales Global Supply Chain and will also be able to leverage this relationship and its industry standing when promoting their business activities to wider export markets.
The new programme was launched by Thales at the second edition of Make it in the Emirates Forum, hosted over two days at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center. In partnership with Abu Dhabi Economic Department and ADNOC, the forum brings together the largest industrial companies and enablers from across the UAE to share their procurement plans and significant investment opportunities, and to discuss how these translate into local manufacturing investment opportunities. The participating companies prioritize local products and invest in UAE-based manufacturing and production through innovative programs, such as Thales’ GO to UAE.
Commenting on the MOU, H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Deputy Secretary General of Tawazun Council said:
“We are excited to partner with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Thales on the 'Go to the UAE' program, which plays a crucial role in achieving the goals of the Tawazun Economic Program.”
“This initiative serves a dual purpose by significantly contributing to the in-country value program, enhancing local manufacturing capabilities, and promoting the growth of indigenous expertise. Additionally, it will create numerous skilled job opportunities, empowering UAE citizens across the defense supply chain.”
he added.
Roque Carmona, SVP Group chief procurement at Thales:
“The Make it in the Emirates Forum directly supports the UAE’s economic diversification strategy and the country’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness of national industries. This technical knowledge transfer and upskilling will benefit the country in its quest to improve sovereignty, localize essential manufacturing and create highly skilled job opportunities. The UAE’s industrial ecosystem make it the ideal country for establishing such a program”
“We are proud to launch our GO to UAE initiative as part of those efforts and to leverage our knowhow and global reach to enhance the prospects of UAE companies across the supply chain.”
he added.
The new partnership works in synchronization with Thales Emarat Technologies (TET), part of the Tawazun Economic Program, which that aims to assist sustainable technology transfer and support the creation of local jobs and careers in the country. Through TET, Thales provides the UAE with unique and sovereign technology capabilities in line with its ambitious future plans, which will support and boost the UAE exports to the world.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
