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The session, titled “Transforming Industries Through Smart Manufacturing,” gathered leaders from the industrial, investment, and technology sectors to discuss how artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics are enhancing productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
Moderated by Courtney Fingar, Senior Advisor at the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), the panel included Fuad Al-Attar, Senior Vice President for the Middle East at Siemens AG; Sergei Millian, CEO of Regal Assets Group Holding Ltd; and Eng Yasmin Al Enazi, Executive Director of IXO Hub, as well as CEO of Industry 4.0 at Maxbyte Technologies.
Fuad Al Attar emphasised Siemens’ crucial role in advancing regional industrial transformation, noting that the company has carried out over 250 energy-efficiency and digital-factory projects throughout the Middle East. “Every minute of downtime avoided translates into measurable productivity gains,” he stated. “Predictive maintenance, once considered futuristic, is now a standard part of daily operations in advanced facilities across the Emirates.”
He mentioned that although challenges such as cybersecurity and workforce reskilling still exist, they also present opportunities for innovation. “Governments can accelerate transformation through industrial programmes where major companies share proof-of-concepts, results, and lessons learned. The aim is to create connected, predictive, and sustainable production systems where data enables companies to make quicker, better decisions.”
Offering a national perspective, Eng Yasmin Al Enazi explained how the UAE’s National Strategy for Industry 4.0 and Operation 300bn are transforming the industrial landscape through technology integration, policy alignment, and human capital development. “These diagnostics allow us to design tailored roadmaps for transformation, ensuring that no factory is left behind,” she said.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the UAE’s manufacturing sector achieved 7.7% growth, contributing 13.4% to the non-oil economy, proof that advanced manufacturing is rapidly becoming a significant economic driver. She added that human capacity remains vital to the UAE’s industrial success, highlighting the importance of developing a next-generation workforce. “We now have an integration ecosystem that connects the UAE with Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, and the GCC—promoting joint R&D, technology transfer, and innovation programmes.”
From an investor's perspective, Sergei Millian described how the UAE’s industrial strategy, logistics infrastructure, and business-friendly regulations are attracting new types of high-value manufacturing. “Our company traditionally operated in finance and real estate, but the UAE’s vibrant industrial environment inspired us to diversify into manufacturing. The infrastructure, policy clarity, and efficiency here are unparalleled.”
He highlighted Regal Assets’ new marble-processing plant as a prime example of innovation: “We’re now producing marble panels as thin as one to five millimetres, maintaining the beauty of natural stone while being lighter, more sustainable, and easier to transport. This is Industry 4.0 in action.”
Concluding the session, Courtney Fingar reflected on the wider implications of the UAE’s industrial digitalisation. “The nations that succeed in Industry 4.0 will be those that invest as much in people as in machines. The UAE stands out as a living case study of how governments can combine technology, human capacity, and investor confidence to future-proof their economies.”
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