The UAE has announced a programme that seeks to boost the country's manufacturing economic output to Dh300 billion (over $80 billion), more than double current levels. The strategy includes establishing 13,500 new industrial companies and Dh57bn of investment in research and development. The overall aim is to create jobs, stimulate innovation, boost competitiveness and build strategic resilience by increasing the nation's domestic manufacturing capacity.
As part of the industrial strategy, products manufactured in the UAE will fall under a unified industrial brand identity for which the slogan "Make it in the Emirates" was also launched on Monday. "Make it in the Emirates" aims to create a sense of pride in locally made products, so that the "Made in UAE" label on a product motivates people around the world to buy it for its superior quality. This is another important aspect of the overall push to make the country's manufacturing base as competitive as possible on the global stage.
An economic reorientation of this magnitude will become all the more significant after the Covid-19 pandemic, although it is more than a response to the pandemic's effects on the global economy. It is a response to larger-scale changes that have been occurring in manufacturing sectors around the world.
Rental increases in Dubai are covered by Decree Number 43 of 2013. This decree outlines by how much a landlord can increase a property’s rent at contract renewal, after serving the 90-day notice in writing. Getty Images
Without action the Middle East risks becoming a region that is left behind by this new world order
Globalisation and specialisation are inevitable outcomes of a technologically advanced world. However, domestic manufacturing is vital for economic diversification, competitiveness and developing domestic talent.
Operation 300bn, as the new UAE strategy is known, aims to build a local value chain that is firmly rooted in future-oriented industries. Aside from the obvious benefits to the Emirati economy and the UAE’s position as a global economic hub, it can help to distribute the rewards of the technological revolution to regional neighbours, through knowledge transfer, private investment and trade deals.
The UAE’s prime location for trade is a powerful factor. Geography still matters for manufacturing, even in the age of remote working. UAE airports are a single short-haul flight away from a large number of the world's most rapidly developing economies. In the coming years, these countries are expected to see the steepest growth in their middle classes – a total global rise of an estimated 2 billion people by 2030 – and, therefore, demand for consumer goods.
The prioritisation of knowledge transfer and production, a cornerstone of Operation 300bn, is key. The country has taken major steps in recent years to instil that principle in economic policy, by turning the Emirates into a more open and dynamic place for people from all over the world to live and work. Fostering openness as the country develops a world-leading manufacturing sector not only secures its future, but also gives a greater share of the global population a stake in the technological revolution.
Operation 300bn is a scheme that understands the need to respond to tremendous change, with an equally tremendous strategy.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Getting there Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
