Factory of Firsts: The Value of Make it in the Emirates for Young Talent
From a spark of inspiration to a national movement, Make it in the Emirates is helping the next generation to build industrial capability and shape the UAE’s future economy
Abu Dhabi, UAE – April 24, 2026: Last year, Abdulaziz Nabeel, a senior specialist in the Innovation and AI department at ADNOC, concluded a panel session at Make it in the Emirates with a quote dear to his heart.
“As our founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, said,” Abdulaziz told the audience, “It is our sole responsibility to ensure that we create wealth that will be inherited, not by us, but the generations here after.
“And I think we can all agree,” he added, “Make it in the Emirates truly sparks a desire in every one of us to contribute to our country and its economy.”
The panel session, ‘Factory of Firsts: The Value of Make it in the Emirates for Young Talent’, saw Abdulaziz joined by two ADNOC colleagues, Ahmed AlSuwaidi and Dr. Mohammed AlSawalhi.
Ask Abdulaziz how he reflects on those quotes a year on, and the 29-year-old replies: “With even greater desire.” Make it in the Emirates, the fifth edition of which takes place at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi from May 4-7, he says, is “a national mission.”
That national mission has seen ADNOC inject AED307 billion into the UAE economy since 2018, when the company’s In-Country Value (ICV) program was pioneered. A further AED90 billion has been committed for locally manufactured products by 2030.
Additionally, 23,000 private-sector jobs have been created through ADNOC’s efforts since 2018, with 25,000 new jobs targeted by 2028.
“Make it in the Emirates is more than an incentive to raise capital,” Abdulaziz says. “It’s employment. Domestic self-sufficiency. Building the capacity to produce. And an invitation to bring even more manufacturing to the UAE and build new forms of collaboration with global partners.”
The ‘Make it with ADNOC’ app, launched in support of Make it in the Emirates last year, is an important part of ADNOC’s offering and strongly builds on the success of the ICV program.
“ADNOC offers full transparency on the products we need and how much has already been secured from the local market; that’s invaluable and inspiring,” says Ahmed, a 31-year-old Production Planning Manager at ADNOC Refining. “The app offers real-time visibility and insights whenever new products are required.”
Dr. Mohammed, a senior mechanical engineer with ADNOC Onshore, believes Make it in the Emirates showcases ADNOC’s full role as a producer, an enabler, a buyer, and as demonstrated by himself, Ahmed and Abdulaziz, a talent developer.
While the ‘nuts and bolts’ of Make it in the Emirates may be pipes, tubes, and other critical industrial components, for the younger generation it is also very much about technology and innovation through AI.
“AI, innovation, and digitalization are redefining what ‘making’ means in the Emirates,” says Dr. Mohammed, aged 35. “By integrating innovation and digitalization into industrial growth, we are not just producing locally, we are thinking, optimizing, and leading locally.”
These thoughts are echoed by Abdulaziz, who describes ADNOC as “a prominent, key player” in the three roles of producer, enabler and buyer.
“We are developing our own AI solutions and building bespoke technologies, providing the energy that powers these technologies, and working with global partners to co-innovate from the earliest stages, accelerating progress across the value chain,” he says.
Which is why, for the next generation, Make it in the Emirates sparks a desire to contribute to the UAE and its economy.
Because as Sheikh Zayed said: “This generation of youth understands the culture to achieve new heights for our nation that we could not have imagined. We must support this generation, whatever it takes, and provide them with everything they need.”
