The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, together with its counterparts from BRICS countries, signed a declaration on Friday to establish an Industrial Capabilities Centre in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to support the development of industrial technologies and capabilities.
The declaration was announced at the 8th BRICS Industrial Ministers’ Meeting, which brought together the ministries of industry, trade and technology from the UAE, Russia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran and South Africa. The meeting, chaired by Russia, is held under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security.”
The centre will foster partnerships within the framework of the New Industrial Revolution (NIR) to identify benefits, challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving industrial environment. Additionally, the centre aims to support industry and develop the industrial skills of its members.
Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, signed the declaration on behalf of the UAE. He praised Russia for chairing the meeting, saying: “BRICS countries represent around 45 percent of the world’s population and account for about a third of the world’s GDP, presenting great opportunities for cooperative industrial development and sustainable development. The UAE is committed to strengthening connections with global partners to seize mutual economic opportunities that are a major driver of sustainable development and a means to address major global challenges such as food security and climate change.”
He further said, “The Ministry looks forward to contributing to the working groups to be established under this partnership and providing its expertise to promote and enable the growth of the industry for the mutual benefit of all member countries.”
The declaration includes discussions to establish several working groups, including on the chemical industry, metals, small and medium-sized enterprises, smart manufacturing, clean technology, medical devices, etc.
In the Declaration, Member States stressed their determination to cooperate on industrial policies that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, including the adoption of green technologies.
Additionally, the Declaration recognizes the role of the PartNIR (Partnership for a New Industrial Revolution) Innovation Centre, which focuses on policy coordination, human resource development and project development.
The Centre has hosted events such as the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Exhibition, the BRICS Forum on PartNIR, the BRICS Industrial Innovation Competition and the BRICS Forum on Future Network Innovation. The signatories also appreciated the efforts of the BRICS Start-up Forum to support projects of start-ups that play a key role in driving innovation and economic growth in the era of the New Industrial Revolution.
The meeting concluded with a review of agreements and decisions made at previous meetings to deepen BRICS cooperation in industrialization, innovation, inclusiveness and investment, including the Johannesburg II Declaration of 23 August 2023.
The delegation expressed its support for Brazil in hosting the 9th BRICS Industrial Ministers Meeting in 2025.
In August 2023, six countries were invited to join BRICS, including the UAE, which formally joined in January 2024. Projections suggest that BRICS could account for 45% of the world economy by 2040.