‘Time is now’: UAE ramps up self-reliance, industry growth at Make it in the Emirates forum
Invoking the legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business & Philanthropy, delivered a powerful call to action at the Make it in the Emirates forum, urging the nation to strengthen self-reliance and seize emerging global opportunities.
Speaking under the theme “The Time is Now – Building Resilience and Seizing Opportunity in a Changing World”, Jafar framed resilience not as a buzzword but as a national imperative rooted in the UAE’s history.
Recalling Sheikh Zayed’s vision of transforming desert into fertile land, he said the UAE has consistently defied limitations from agriculture to economic diversification and must now apply the same determination to modern challenges.
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“We’ve heard this before,” Jafar said, referencing concerns about fragile global supply chains. “And we know how to answer it.”
From vision to movement
Highlighting the rapid evolution of the Make it in the Emirates initiative, Jafar noted that what began as an idea five years ago has grown into a national industrial movement, now encompassing over 1,000 companies across 12 strategic sectors.
“This is not an exhibition. This is a declaration,” he said, pointing to the scale and ambition of the platform.
He also praised the role of policymakers and industry leaders, including Dr Sultan Al Jaber, in advancing the country’s industrial agenda.
‘Resilience is not a slogan, it’s a supply chain’
In a speech that blended economic strategy with philosophical reflection, Jafar challenged the overuse of the term “resilience”, stressing that it must be tangible.
“Resilience is not a slogan. It is a supply chain. It is a factory that runs 24/7 when the strait is closed,” he said.
Drawing on an Arabic proverb, “No one scratches your skin like your own fingernail,” he underscored the importance of national self-sufficiency in critical sectors such as healthcare, food, and advanced manufacturing.
Domestic investment takes centre stage
While reaffirming the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI), Jafar shifted focus to domestic capital, describing it as a deeper measure of national confidence.
The UAE attracted $45.6 billion in FDI last year, ranking among the top 10 globally. However, he revealed that domestic investment reached more than $119 billion over two and a half times higher.
“FDI is foreign confidence. Domestic investment is national conviction,” he said. “It is capital that stays.”
Building the next industrial giants
Jafar also spotlighted the role of startups and innovation ecosystems, citing platforms like Hub71 and Endeavour as critical to nurturing future national champions.
“The next major Emirati industrial company could be sitting in a co-working space today,” he said, calling for sustained investment in entrepreneurship and research.
He emphasised that long-term resilience depends on advancing research and development, increasing PhDs per capita, and scaling innovation output.
Whole-of-society approach
Jafar described the UAE’s economic model as a “whole-of-society” effort, where government, family businesses, sovereign funds, startups, and philanthropy work in tandem.
Family businesses alone account for more than 60 per cent of GDP and 80 per cent of employment, he noted, underscoring their central role in economic stability.
A call to act
Closing his address, Jafar urged policymakers to elevate domestic investment metrics and called on businesses to move from backing ideas to building industries.
“To our entrepreneurs: build the essential things – medicine, food, and technology. The glamour will follow,” he said.
He concluded with a message to the UAE’s youth, linking past achievements with future ambitions: “Your generation will build the world’s most resilient economy not because it’s easy but because it’s yours.”
