UAE launches Make it in the Emirates Awards

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has launched the Make it in the Emirates Awards to recognize excellence and innovation in the industrial sector.

The awards will celebrate the pioneers, visionaries, national talents, sustainability champions, and game-changers who are blazing a trail in the industrial sector and helping to drive the UAE’s transformation to becoming a global manufacturing hub.

Nominations open on March 7 and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held at the annual Make it in the Emirates Forum, which takes place on May 31 and June 1, 2023, in the presence of key leaders, officials, and experts from manufacturing companies and financial institutions.

The distinguished event will be an opportunity for the manufacturing industry to come together and acknowledge the contributions of its finest and their impact on the growth and development of the UAE.

The inaugural Make it in the Emirates Forum in May 2022 was attended by 1,800 stakeholders and resulted in Dh110 billion worth of potential procurement agreements. More than 30 agreements were signed, and 300 products were identified for local manufacturing, contributing Dh6 billion to national GDP annually.

The nominations for the Make it in the Emirates Awards can be applied at https://miiteawards.moiat.gov.ae/.

The awards are part of the ministry’s efforts to foster a healthy competitive environment and motivate companies to be proactive in adopting best practices and advanced technologies as well as enhancing their competitiveness, locally, regionally and globally.

Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said the UAE’s industrial growth, competitiveness and transformation into a global industrial and innovation hub is being shaped by a diverse set of enablers that create an attractive industrial ecosystem, in addition to a community of innovators and manufacturers who are embracing 4IR technologies.

"To accelerate this transformation, the ministry is aiming to attract the top companies from around the world to join our journey here in the UAE through the Make it in the Emirates initiative," he said.

“These awards will help to raise the profile of the Make it in the Emirates initiative to motivate innovators and experts in the industrial sector to contribute to boosting the national industrial sector, raise awareness of success stories, and adopt advanced technologies and sustainable practices. This will enhance the contribution of the industrial sector to national GDP alongside other projects and initiatives that aim to raise the competitiveness of the industrial sector, such as the National ICV program, the Technology Transformation Program, as well as UAE Industry 4.0 among others."

Al Suwaidi added that MoIAT extends an invitation to all companies in the UAE’s industrial space to nominate for the Make it in the Emirates Awards.

"The awards will act as a platform to boost visibility and help businesses to stand out in a competitive marketplace, demonstrating their capabilities to potential customers, partners, and investors. The awards also align with the objectives of Operation 300 billion and the UAE’s net zero strategic initiative," he said.

For instance, he said the Sustainable Manufacturing Award motivates businesses to minimize pollution, conserve energy and adopt sustainable practices. Rewarding companies for their sustainability efforts is a key part of MoIAT’s work and it is fitting that these awards are being introduced in the year in which the UAE will host COP28.

“Companies will be judged based on their performance, including their financial capabilities and resettlement rates, the quality of their products, as well as their adoption of sustainable and innovative practices. The awards are open to all industrial companies in the country, including manufacturers, suppliers and service providers.”

With 10 categories– any company or individual in the UAE that meets the specified criteria can apply for an award.

Categories include:

• ICV CHAMPION AWARD

• ICV EXCELLENCE AWARD

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com