Dr. Sultan Al Jaber leads national delegation in Manama as Gulf economies target unified supply chains and cross-border manufacturing investments
MANAMA — 7 October 2026 : The United Arab Emirates is making a concerted push to accelerate Gulf industrial integration, calling for cross-border supply chain networks and deeper deployment of artificial intelligence across regional manufacturing hubs during high-level ministerial meetings in Bahrain.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, is heading the country’s official delegation at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Industrial Cooperation Committee and the Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, taking place in Manama from 6 to 8 October.
The ministerial talks coincide with the inaugural Made in GCC Forum and Exhibition 2026, held under the patronage of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at Exhibition World Bahrain. The gathering brings together policymakers, state industrial bodies, and private sector leaders to align regional industrial policies, unified standards, and joint manufacturing initiatives.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, toured the UAE pavilion at the exhibition, reviewing Emirati manufacturing capabilities, advanced technology applications, and national industrial goods targeted for regional trade.
The UAE delegation, which includes Hasan Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, along with senior ministry executives, is prioritizing common standardizations and private sector engagement. Emirati representatives are taking part in high-level sessions addressing regional industrial financing, artificial intelligence integration, infrastructure modernization, and supply chain vulnerabilities.
Regional leaders view standardisation and synchronized customs procedures as key levers to insulate Gulf economies against international logistics shocks and fluctuating raw material markets. Several memorandums of understanding are scheduled to be finalized during the three-day summit between UAE state-backed and private industrial players and their GCC counterparts.
Abu Dhabi’s regional push draws leverage from its domestic industrial expansion. UAE industrial exports climbed to Dh260 billion in 2025, with medium- and high-technology goods contributing Dh92 billion of that total. Concurrently, the UAE’s National In-Country Value (ICV) program has channeled more than Dh473 billion back into the local economy since its inception, providing a tested procurement blueprint that Emirati officials are advocating across the wider GCC framework.
Gulf policymakers aim to leverage these shared capabilities to establish integrated value chains, ensuring manufactured components move friction-free across member states while scaling domestic alternatives to global imports.
