2026-08-30
On 2026-08-30 UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decision establishing the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies. The programme is a single national framework that ties technical education, research and development and talent-building to the needs of the country’s strategic and advanced industries. It is governed by a Higher Committee chaired by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, with an Executive Committee under Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs. The first phase runs six tracks: Technical Education and National Talent, National Service, Flagship Initiative, Global Challenge, Global Talent Attraction, and Technical Research and Innovation. The budget will be set by the Higher Committee and has not been disclosed.
What the presidential decision of 2026-08-30 establishes
The decision, reported by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Gulf News on 2026-08-30, creates three bodies at once: the programme itself, a Higher Committee that sets its direction, and an Executive Committee that runs it. A dedicated programme office coordinates the tracks and reports on progress.
According to the official text, the programme is meant to build an integrated national education and research system that channels the outcomes of education, R&D and talent development into fields that support the UAE’s industrial and development priorities. Its stated goals are to strengthen national industrial capabilities, raise the competitiveness of Emirati products in strategic sectors, and reinforce national sovereignty in vital sectors. A separate objective is to support technical solutions that can be manufactured, scaled and exported.
The decision follows a run of technology and talent announcements in August 2026, including the UAE Enterprise AI Maturity Index and the expansion of the Hub71 Initiate programme for idea-stage founders after nearly 5,500 applications.
Governance of the programme
| Body | Composition and role |
|---|---|
| Higher Committee | Chair: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Deputy Chair: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Approves strategic directions, priorities, policies and initiatives, sets the budget, issues decisions, monitors results and reports to the President and the Prime Minister. |
| Members of the Higher Committee | Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi (Minister of Cabinet Affairs), Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber (Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology), Dr Abdulrahman bin Abdulmannan Al Awar (Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research), Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Fadel Al Mazrouei (Minister of State for Defence Affairs), Dr Ahmed Mubarak bin Nawi Al Mazrouei (Head of the Office of the UAE President for Strategic Affairs), Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai (Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs). |
| Executive Committee | Chair: Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi. Reviews and approves plans, programmes, policies and initiatives of the tracks before they go to the Higher Committee, reviews budgets, oversees implementation and monitors progress with federal and local entities. |
| Programme office | Works with track leaders on plans and policies, ensures integration across tracks, monitors implementation, issues periodic reports, builds local and international partnerships and provides administrative, technical and logistical support. |
The composition is notable for the ministries it brings to one table: industry and advanced technology, human resources and Emiratisation together with higher education, defence affairs, foreign affairs and cabinet affairs. In practice this means that decisions on curricula, research grants, industrial priorities and the attraction of foreign specialists will be taken by the same body.
The six tracks of the first phase
The first phase includes six tracks. The official text names them without describing budgets or timelines; additional tracks may be added later on the President’s directives.
- Technical Education and National Talent. Aligns technical education with the requirements of strategic sectors and prepares Emiratis for science, advanced technology and priority future disciplines.
- National Service. A track that links the programme to the national service system; details were not published.
- Flagship Initiative. A dedicated track for a headline initiative of the programme; its subject has not been announced.
- Global Challenge. A track built around an international challenge format; the theme and prize structure were not disclosed.
- Global Talent Attraction. Attracts specialists from abroad in science and advanced technologies to work in the UAE.
- Technical Research and Innovation. Connects research institutions and innovation centres with industrial priorities so that results can be manufactured, scaled and exported.
Why the programme matters for the UAE’s industrial strategy
The programme sits on top of an existing industrial policy. Since 2021 the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has run Operation 300bn, a strategy to lift the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 300 billion by 2031, with the Make it in the Emirates initiative steering procurement towards local producers. The new programme adds the human-capital layer: engineers, researchers and technicians trained for the sectors that the strategy prioritises, plus a formal channel for foreign specialists.
Two features of the decision stand out. First, the programme is federal and presidential rather than emirate-level, so its priorities will apply across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the northern emirates alike. Second, the Higher Committee sets the budget itself under applicable legislation, which gives the programme its own funding line rather than a share of existing ministry budgets.
What it means for companies operating in the UAE
The decision does not create a new licence, fee or procedure for businesses. Its effect on the private sector will come through the tracks as they are launched. Based on the published scope, the following groups should watch the programme closely:
- Technology and industrial companies. Manufacturers of electronics, materials, defence-adjacent components, robotics and industrial software are the target sectors for solutions that can be “manufactured, scaled and exported”. Companies that already hold a UAE licence are positioned to participate in flagship initiatives and research partnerships when those are announced.
- Research and education providers. Private universities, training centres and EdTech companies may find demand from the Technical Education and National Talent track, which requires curricula aligned with strategic sectors.
- Foreign specialists. The Global Talent Attraction track adds a state-level channel for scientists and engineers moving to the UAE. The country already offers a Golden Visa category for scientists and researchers and standard employment residency for technical staff; the programme is likely to route its recruits through these existing instruments.
- Employers of technical staff. The presence of the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation on the Higher Committee suggests that Emiratisation targets in technical roles will be coordinated with the programme. Companies with mainland licences and 50 or more employees should factor this into hiring plans.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital supports technology, engineering and research companies that establish operations in the UAE. We handle company setup in a free zone or on the mainland with activity codes that match R&D, manufacturing or technology consulting, arrange work visas and residency for technical staff, and prepare Golden Visa applications for scientists, engineers and founders. If your company plans to take part in UAE research or industrial programmes, we can structure the entity, bank account and visas in advance so that the paperwork is ready when a track opens.
Conclusion
The National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies, established by presidential decision on 2026-08-30, gives the UAE a single federal body that connects education, research and talent policy with industrial priorities. Its six first-phase tracks cover the full chain from technical education to research commercialisation and foreign talent attraction, under a Higher Committee that sets its own budget. Budgets, timelines and track leaders have not yet been published; for businesses, the practical changes will arrive as each track is launched.
FAQ
What is the UAE National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies?
It is a federal programme established by a decision of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 2026-08-30. It links technical education, research and development and talent-building with the needs of the UAE’s strategic and advanced industries, with the goal of raising industrial capability, the competitiveness of Emirati products and national sovereignty in vital sectors.
Who oversees the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies?
A Higher Committee chaired by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Deputy Chairman and six ministers and advisers as members. An Executive Committee chaired by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, approves plans and budgets and oversees implementation. A programme office coordinates the tracks.
What are the six tracks of the programme’s first phase?
Technical Education and National Talent, National Service, Flagship Initiative, Global Challenge, Global Talent Attraction, and Technical Research and Innovation. The decision allows additional tracks to be added later on the directives of the UAE President.
Does the programme change visa or licensing rules for companies in the UAE?
No. The decision of 2026-08-30 sets up the programme and its governance; it does not introduce new licences, fees or visa categories. Foreign specialists attracted under the Global Talent Attraction track are expected to use existing instruments such as employment residency and the Golden Visa for scientists and researchers.
