ADNOC Charts Industrial Course with AED60 Billion Manufacturing Roadmap Through 2030
The national energy company transforms its procurement framework to unlock unprecedented opportunities for local manufacturers, signalling a decisive shift towards deeper industrial self-sufficiency and economic resilience.
The transformation of a nation’s industrial capacity requires more than ambition. It demands clarity, partnership and the practical architecture to turn vision into sustained economic activity. At the second Make it with ADNOC Forum, held at Emirates Palace in the lead-up to ADIPEC, the company outlined precisely such a framework, revealing more than AED60 billion in local manufacturing opportunities through 2030 whilst fundamentally reimagining how it engages with suppliers and investors.
The initiative represents a conscious acceleration of ADNOC’s purchasing power into industrial investment, skilled employment and strengthened supply chains. Over 200 essential products and a substantial portfolio of critical spare parts now sit at the centre of a comprehensive procurement redesign, one that gives manufacturers unprecedented visibility of future demand and a considerably simpler pathway to compete for the company’s business.
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, described the moment as one of practical opportunity. “ADNOC’s growth creates a powerful opportunity to deepen the UAE’s industrial strength,” he noted. “Our next phase is about giving manufacturers and investors the confidence to act: clarity on what we need, visibility of when we need it, and a simpler route to compete for our business.”
The scope of the undertaking extends across rotating equipment and power systems, electrical and automation technologies, drilling and completion equipment, chemicals and catalysts, piping and fabrication, and advanced spare parts manufacturing. Many of these products are currently imported. Manufacturing them locally shortens lead times, reduces vulnerability to global supply disruptions and fortifies operational resilience at a time when such resilience carries considerable strategic weight.
The procedural changes are equally significant. A comprehensive redesign of supplier registration and prequalification targets an 80 per cent reduction in processing time, with artificial intelligence supporting document verification and data reuse. The new single window model halves required documentation whilst removing prequalification requirements for 60 per cent of service categories. This architectural simplification extends to commercial evaluation itself, where integrated procurement and in-country value assessments replace the previous bid-matching approach, encouraging suppliers to submit genuinely competitive offers from the outset.
The collaboration between ADNOC, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office connects immediate manufacturing opportunities with institutional support, national industrial databases and financing through the National Industrial Resilience Fund. As we reported in ADNOC’s announcement at the Forum, this coordination sits at the heart of the Make it in the Emirates strategic initiative.
The Local+ programme, meanwhile, has expanded to encompass more than 100 UAE manufacturers, nearly 50 per cent higher than its May 2026 launch figure. The scheme gives UAE-made products priority in ADNOC projects by requiring engineering, procurement and construction contractors to source relevant approved products locally, creating tangible market advantage for domestic manufacturers.
The Forum also marked eight years of ADNOC’s In-Country Value programme, which since its 2018 launch has redirected more than AED307 billion into the UAE economy. The programme has supported the localisation of more than 130 products, enabled the development of 95 UAE factories and created employment for more than 27,500 Emiratis within participating private sector companies.
What it means for Abu Dhabi
The scale of opportunity newly articulated represents a watershed moment for Abu Dhabi’s industrial ambitions. AED60 billion in manufacturing demand, coupled with streamlined access pathways and clearer visibility of future requirements, creates the conditions for sustained private sector investment in capabilities that will serve ADNOC and the broader UAE economy for years ahead. Manufacturers, suppliers and industrial investors now possess both incentive and practical means to build competitive advantages domestically.
Beyond immediate commercial opportunity lies a deeper significance. As ADNOC converts its operational requirements into locally-manufactured solutions, it reinforces the industrial ecosystems and supply chains upon which the Emirates’ long-term economic resilience depends. Shorter lead times, reduced exposure to global disruption, and strengthened domestic capabilities serve the national interest whilst creating skilled employment and transferable expertise that extend far beyond energy sector applications.