ADNOC has identified more than AED60 billion ($16.3 billion) in manufacturing opportunities in the UAE through 2030, covering over 200 products and critical spare parts as the energy company seeks to reduce dependence on imported equipment.
The programme was announced on Sunday at the second Make it with ADNOC Forum at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, alongside changes to supplier registration, procurement and the company’s In-Country Value (ICV) framework intended to make its contracts more accessible to manufacturers and investors.
Products targeted for local manufacture include rotating equipment, power systems, electrical and automation components, drilling and well-completion equipment, chemicals, catalysts, pipes, fabricated structures and heavy machinery. ADNOC said many are currently sourced overseas, exposing its projects and operations to longer delivery times and international supply disruptions.
Examples presented at the forum included electrical submersible pumps, seamless pipes, compressors and oil country tubular goods used in drilling. The company said its published demand forecasts would identify required products and expected purchasing volumes across years.
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC managing director and group chief executive, said the company would give businesses clearer information about its requirements and their timing, while simplifying the process of competing for supply contracts.
“We are inviting companies to build capabilities in the UAE that will serve our industry and country for years to come,” he said, linking the manufacturing opportunities to longer-term investment and more reliable supplies.
ADNOC aims to cut supplier registration and qualification times by up to 80 per cent, halve documentation requirements and reduce purchasing cycles by as much as 40 per cent. Prequalification requirements will be removed for 60 per cent of service categories, broadening access for companies seeking to enter its supply chain.
A single supplier portal will integrate registration, qualification and compliance procedures, with requirements adjusted according to contractual risk. Artificial intelligence will assist with document checks and reuse of previously submitted information, limiting duplicated administrative work.
The company is also changing how it assesses bids under its ICV programme. Commercial terms and commitments to generate economic value within the UAE will be considered together, replacing a system that allowed bidders to match competing offers. The adjustment is designed to encourage competitive submissions from the outset.
The revised evaluation framework, scheduled to take effect on 1 November, will assign 70 per cent weight to commercial offers and 30 per cent to ICV commitments. Contracts valued below AED2 million will be exempt from ICV requirements, while those below AED50 million will not face ICV retention obligations.
ADNOC said it would work with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to link manufacturers to its procurement forecasts, the national industrial database and potential financing through the National Industrial Resilience Fund.
The company signed memoranda of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and KEZAD Group during the forum. It also expanded its Local+ programme from 70 approved manufacturers at its May launch to more than 100, giving their eligible UAE-made products preferential access to projects.
Under Local+, engineering, procurement and construction contractors participating in new tenders must obtain specified products from approved manufacturers, creating a defined route for domestic producers to supply ADNOC projects.
Omar Abdulla Alnuaimi, ADNOC’s group chief for commercial and in-country value, said the measures would provide earlier visibility of purchasing demand and reward suppliers that invest in local production. He said the company’s domestic manufacturing commitments had reached AED80 billion against an AED90 billion target for 2030.
ADNOC said its ICV programme had channelled more than AED307 billion into the UAE economy by the end of 2025. Since its launch in 2018, it has supported the localisation of over 130 products, the development of 95 factories and employment opportunities for more than 27,500 Emiratis at participating private-sector companies.
Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, undersecretary at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said the opportunities could help convert identified industrial demand into investment and skilled employment. Ministry officials said manufacturers would receive assistance in identifying relevant incentives and financing arrangements.
The forum also introduced ADNOC’s ICV Excellence Awards, recognising participating businesses, employees and partners for contributions to local manufacturing, supplier development and employment of UAE nationals.
