15 September 2026
The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) launched Factory Forward UAE on Monday 14 September 2026, a single platform that gives manufacturers one entry point to technology assessments, expert support and financing for adopting artificial intelligence and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies. The platform does not start from zero: it consolidates existing ministry programmes that have already supported more than 700 factories in the country, including more than 620 factories assessed through the Industrial Technology Transformation Index (ITTI). Factory Forward UAE sits under the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and the Make it in the Emirates initiative, and it is backed by technology, enablement and financing partners from the public and private sectors.
What Factory Forward UAE actually is
It is a consolidation, not a new subsidy. Until now a manufacturer in the UAE had to find its way separately to a maturity assessment, to a training programme, to a technology vendor and to a bank willing to fund the project. Factory Forward UAE puts those four steps behind one door and adds a library of completed transformations so a factory can see what has already worked elsewhere before committing capital.
MoIAT describes the journey it supports in four stages: identifying technology needs, assessing where operations can be improved, selecting and implementing suitable 4IR solutions, and scaling with the expertise or funding required. The ministry says the initiative is meant to help factories respond faster to market changes, raise efficiency and productivity, strengthen supply chains and compete in local and international markets.
The numbers behind the launch
| Indicator | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Launch date | Monday 14 September 2026 |
| Factories already supported by the consolidated programmes | More than 700 |
| Factories assessed through the ITTI | More than 620 |
| Partner categories | 3 (technology, enablement, financing) |
| ICV score bonus for a qualifying ITTI assessment | Additional 5 per cent |
| Technology adoption grant via ADIO Smart Manufacturing Acceleration Program | Up to AED 10 million per company |
| Projects financed since 2021 with Emirates Development Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank | Up to AED 4.6 billion |
| ITTI assessment fee | From AED 0 to AED 20,000 per assessor |
| ITTI assessment turnaround | 5 to 10 working days |
Three partner tracks, one pathway
Factory Forward UAE is built around three categories of partners, and the distinction matters when a factory decides who to talk to first.
- Technology partners assess how advanced a plant already is, identify where technology can improve performance and define the next steps.
- Enablement partners provide specialist advice, training and knowledge transfer, which is the part most factories underestimate.
- Financing partners help a manufacturer access the funding and investment needed to launch and scale a transformation project.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, tied the launch to the wider strategy: the focus, he said, is on helping factories adopt advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to increase productivity, improve efficiency and compete more effectively, and the ministry will keep working with its partners to build on that progress.
What a factory can apply for today
The concrete entry point that already exists is the ITTI assessment, delivered as a MoIAT e-service called Factory Assessment. A certified assessor visits the plant and produces a report on digital maturity, sustainability practices and a roadmap of recommendations. The published procedure is: register on the ministry platform, submit the factory, agree the visit with the assessor, pay the fee, host the assessment, then receive the uploaded report. The ministry lists fees from AED 0 to AED 20,000 per assessor depending on the assessor and the location of the plant, with the company covering travel and accommodation costs of the assessor, and a service time of 5 to 10 working days. Documents are issued with UAE Pass eSeal and recorded on the MoIAT blockchain.
The incentives attached to an ITTI score
An assessment is not paperwork for its own sake. MoIAT has linked the ITTI to four concrete incentives, and these are the levers a manufacturing business should weigh:
- A factory that completes an ITTI assessment and reaches a defined score receives an additional 5 per cent bonus on its National In-Country Value (ICV) score, which directly improves its position in government procurement.
- Eligible employees of ITTI assessed companies can access the Golden Visa scheme, which is integrated into the index to help retain technical talent.
- Factories meeting certain criteria qualify for free ITTI assessments.
- The index is linked to the Smart Manufacturing Acceleration Program of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which provides up to AED 10 million per company for technology transformation.
On the funding side, MoIAT states that since 2021 its strategic partnership with Emirates Development Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank has financed projects worth up to AED 4.6 billion. That sits inside the broader development bank picture: EDB reported in September 2026 that it had approved more than AED 30 billion in cumulative financing since 2021, with manufacturing taking the largest share.
Where this sits in the industrial strategy
The ITTI itself was launched by MoIAT together with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development at the World Government Summit in February 2023, as a key initiative of the Technology Transformation Program. The ministry has since run an ITTI Global Certification Program to qualify assessors, with two cohorts drawing participants from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Rwanda, India, Malaysia, East Timor, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ireland and Romania, and it publishes an Industry Pulse 4.0 report and an ITTI Use Case Guide for manufacturers.
All of it feeds Operation 300bn, the national industrial strategy that aims to raise the industrial sector contribution to GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031. The same logic already shows up in private projects on the ground, such as the assembly line opened in KEZAD under the Made in the Emirates label.
What this does not change
- No law, tax rate, customs duty or licensing threshold was amended. Corporate tax, VAT and company registration rules are untouched.
- No filing obligation and no deadline were created. Participation is voluntary.
- No new fee schedule was announced for factories that do nothing.
- Services remain aimed at industrial establishments with a plant in the UAE, not at trading or service companies without production.
What this means for a business in the UAE
If you run or plan a plant in the UAE, the practical change is the entry point and the paperwork it unlocks. An ITTI assessment now sits at the head of a chain that leads to an ICV bonus in government tenders, Golden Visa access for key staff and grant or bank funding for the project itself. For a manufacturer already holding an industrial licence, the cost of finding out where it stands can be zero and the report arrives within 5 to 10 working days.
For an investor still choosing a structure, the sequence matters: the licence and the jurisdiction come first, and the choice between a mainland industrial licence and a free zone determines which incentives apply later. Our guide on mainland versus free zone in the UAE sets out that trade off, and the full process is covered in our UAE company formation guide.
How Atlant Capital can help
We work with the corporate layer underneath these programmes. We handle company setup in the UAE, including industrial and trading activities and the selection of the right jurisdiction for a production facility, we arrange corporate bank account opening so that grant and financing flows have somewhere to land, and we manage work visas and residency for engineering and management teams relocating to a UAE plant. If you are weighing a manufacturing project here, we can map the licensing route before you commit to a site.
Conclusion
Factory Forward UAE does not hand out money by itself. It removes the search cost: one platform where a manufacturer finds an assessment, an expert, a vendor and a lender, on top of programmes that have already reached more than 700 factories and assessed more than 620 of them. For a factory in the UAE the first move is unchanged and cheap, an ITTI assessment, and everything else in the chain follows from its score.
Source: Gulf News.
FAQ
What is Factory Forward UAE?
Factory Forward UAE is a national platform launched by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology on 14 September 2026 that brings the country industrial technology programmes together in one place. Through it manufacturers reach technology assessments, expert support, training and financing partners for adopting AI and Fourth Industrial Revolution tools. It consolidates programmes that have already supported more than 700 factories, including more than 620 assessed through the Industrial Technology Transformation Index.
How does a factory in the UAE apply for an ITTI assessment?
Through the MoIAT Factory Assessment e-service. The company registers on the ministry digital platform, submits the factory, coordinates the visit with a certified assessor, pays the fee, hosts the on site assessment and receives the uploaded report. Published fees run from AED 0 to AED 20,000 per assessor depending on the assessor and the plant location, with travel and accommodation of the assessor borne by the company, and the stated service time is 5 to 10 working days.
What incentives are linked to the ITTI score?
Four. A qualifying score adds a 5 per cent bonus to the factory National In-Country Value score, improving its standing in government procurement. Eligible employees of assessed companies can access the Golden Visa. Factories meeting certain criteria receive free assessments. The index is also linked to the Abu Dhabi Investment Office Smart Manufacturing Acceleration Program, which provides up to AED 10 million per company.
Does Factory Forward UAE change any rules for companies in the UAE?
No. It is a support platform, not a regulatory change. No law, tax rate, duty or licensing threshold was amended, no filing obligation or deadline was created, and participation is voluntary. Company registration, corporate tax and visa requirements stay as they are, and the programmes are aimed at industrial establishments operating a plant in the UAE.
