Special Features
Industrial Growth of Dubai
Dubai’s industrial sector grew by 15% in 2005 and reached around $ 5 billion, tripling in just one decade.According to the latest Emirates Industrial Bank report, with a rapidly expanding non-oil economy growing at an average of 23% in the past 5 years, industrial investments in the UAE have grown fast with the number of units now at 3,294 employing 245,707 people.
The investments made in the UAE’s manufacturing sector recorded AED 70 billion ($ 19 billion) in 2005, representing an increase of 8.4% from 2004. UAE’s manufacturing sector accounts for 19.2% of the GDP, positioning itself at the 2nd largest contributor to the national economy.
At the GCC country level, UAE ranks 2nd in the plastic industry after Saudi Arabia. The most produced plastic products pipes and household products. According to Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) membership database, locally there are 119 establishments manufacturing plastic and rubber products in Dubai with a turnover of AED 1.3 billion ($ 354 million) by the end of 1st quarter 2006.
UAE’s food and beverage industry attracted investment worth AED 31.2 billion ($ 8.5 billion). The sector was the largest in terms of investment within the manufacturing sector with 299 industries accounting for the largest portion of the AED 414 billion ($ 112.8 billion) investment (46% of total investments).
Dubal, a 100% Dubai government-owned entity and one of the largest single site aluminum smelters in the western world is the industrial flagship of Dubai. The company produces and exports high quality, value added primary aluminum products to more than 40 countries worldwide. Dubai also contributes more than 7% to Dubai’s GDP.
The multi-billion dollar state-of-the-art Dubal complex comprises a 761,000- tonne capacity primary aluminum smelter, a 1,750 MW power station, a large carbon plant, 3 casthouses, a 30-million gallon per day desalination plant, laboratories and research facilities, a sea port, storage facilities, maintenance areas and administration buildings.
Dubal consolidated its position as a major force in the world aluminum industry, reporting a 10% increase in net profits for 2005 following a 14% surge in sales.
“Dubal has already spent more than AED 1 billion to maintain and continuously upgrade its systems to create better environment standards. During the start up of Potline 7B, DUBAL was able to benchmark and align its environmental standards with globally accepted regulations.” Abdullah Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer, D Dubai Industrial City, an industrial zone clustering manufacturing facilities in high value added sectors from the UAE, GCC and Far East regions, will sprawl across 560 million sq.ft of prime land. The city will concentrate on 6 manufacturing sectors, machinery & mechanical equipment, transport equipment, base metals, chemicals, food & beverage and mineral products.
The Dubai Industrial City will establish ‘Maqayees’ Dubai Center for Industrial Standards, which will set the operational performance standards for industries and related institutions operating from the city. ‘Maqayees’ Dubai Center for Industrial Standards will embark on branding the Dubai Quality Mark as an integral standard encompassing and broadening the requirements of various international management system standards like ISO 9000, ISO 14000, ISO 17000 and HACCP complemented with a risk assessment and rating model.
