Ministry of Industry Deepens Dialogue with Manufacturers on Service Simplification
A Customer Council convened in Umm Al Qaiwain brings together industrial leaders and government officials to reshape bureaucratic processes, deploying artificial intelligence and digital integration to accelerate growth across the UAE's manufacturing sector.
The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has established an ongoing partnership with the nation’s manufacturers and investors, one that moves beyond consultation to active collaboration in redesigning the very systems that support industrial enterprise. At Gulf Craft Shipyard in Umm Al Qaiwain, the latest iteration of this dialogue brought together factory operators, business leaders and senior government officials to identify friction points and chart a course toward streamlined procedures that allow manufacturers to concentrate on growth rather than administrative burden.
The Customer Councils programme, launched earlier this year, reflects a philosophy grounded in listening. Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry, led the engagement alongside Hisham Al Amiri, Deputy Head of Government Services at the Prime Minister’s Office, signalling alignment across federal priorities. The gathering focused on the practical challenges facing industrial operators: how to navigate government services more efficiently, how to harness digital tools more effectively, and how artificial intelligence might accelerate transactions without compromising rigour.
What distinguishes this initiative is its ambition to move beyond incremental improvement. Rather than government agencies designing services in isolation, manufacturers and investors sit at the table as essential partners. Their feedback translates into tangible action. As part of the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme’s second phase, the Ministry has already merged three industrial services into one single offering, reducing duplication by 40 per cent. Customs exemptions and industrial permits have been simplified. Procedures for the National In-Country Value Program Certificate service have been automated, strengthening electronic integration across government systems.
Hassan Khalid Sabt, Director of the Government Services Department and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at MoIAT, articulated the strategic intent. The Ministry is deploying Agentic AI not as an end in itself, but as a practical tool: facilitating access to information, accelerating transactions and enabling more proactive support. This approach aligns with broader national efforts. As the UAE strengthens industrial partnerships and accelerates technology adoption across manufacturing, the government systems supporting that ecosystem must evolve in parallel.
Mohammed Hussein Alshaali, Chairman of Gulf Craft Group, brought perspective from four decades of shipbuilding. The company has deployed six artificial intelligence solutions already, with others under development, each aimed at enhancing employee productivity and manufacturing excellence. His remarks underscored a shared conviction: technology works best when it empowers people and delivers practical value.
The overarching ambition is substantial. The Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme aims to eliminate at least 2,000 government procedures, reduce service completion times by at least 50 per cent, and strip away unnecessary conditions and requirements. Success is measured not by procedures removed in abstract, but by the tangible experience of the industrial operator. How much faster can a transaction be completed. How many requirements can genuinely disappear. How much clearer does the path to investment become.
What it means for Abu Dhabi
For Abu Dhabi’s industrial ecosystem, this shift in how government engages with manufacturers represents a fundamental recalibration. The National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and the Make it in the Emirates initiative depend on businesses having the operational clarity and regulatory efficiency to compete and grow. When government services are streamlined, when digital systems speak to one another, when artificial intelligence handles routine transactions, manufacturers can redirect resources toward innovation, expansion and employment creation rather than navigating administrative complexity.
The Councils also signal a broader governance philosophy: that the most effective policy emerges from direct dialogue between those who formulate rules and those who operate within them. By establishing ongoing engagement with industrial leaders across the emirates, the Ministry creates feedback loops that keep government services responsive to real world conditions. This is particularly significant as the UAE positions itself within global supply chains and seeks to attract foreign investment. The efficiency and clarity of government systems become competitive advantages.