The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has issued a new guide outlining investment opportunities with high growth potential in Abu Dhabi’s transportation industries.

Released as part of the Abu Dhabi Channel Partners programme, the guide allows domestic and international players to invest in a sector projected to reach a combined market size of Dhs11.04 billion ($3 billion) by 2027.

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADDED, announced the new guide for investment opportunities in transportation at DRIFTx, the international thought-leadership and exhibition platform in Abu Dhabi that is dedicated to advancing the future of smart and autonomous mobility across air, land, and sea.

DRIFTx is supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which launched Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster in 2023 to set new standards for global transportation and mobility.

Al Zaabi said, “These high-growth investment opportunities in the transportation industries will play an important role in strengthening the Emirate’s industrial landscape. ADIS is supporting our transformation into a diversified, smart, and sustainable economy, underscoring our vision of establishing Abu Dhabi as a global technological hub and innovation centre for manufacturing.” “In 2023, the value of Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing sector rose to Dhs101 billion, contributing 8.8 per cent to the total GDP and 16.5 per cent to non-oil GDP, which grew by 9.1 per cent to Dhs610 billion. The transportation sector’s potential for growth will play a crucial role in the realisation of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious targets. We are committed to further diversifying the economy by focusing on new and emerging sectors, with a special emphasis on certain manufacturing sectors, and utilising innovative tools across different sectors. ADIS is providing ample opportunities for partnerships, access to funding, and attractive investment prospects for both local and international investors.”

Industrial Investment opportunities in transportation include the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of commercial drones, electric vehicle chargers, automotive battery systems, aircraft landing gears, e-scooters, and automotive tyres. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of these opportunities is projected to range between 5.7 per cent for conventional industries, to 9.4 per cent for high-growth ones, and up to 31.5 per cent for disruptive industries in transportation.

The Abu Dhabi Channel Partners programme was launched in 2023 as an Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy (ADIS) initiative to enhance the Emirate’s industrial ecosystem by providing detailed guides of investment opportunities that address the needs of key players and investors. The programme presents 100 investment opportunities, with a combined market value of Dhs123.3 billion ($33.5 billion) in the 7 manufacturing subsectors targeted by ADIS, namely food processing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electrical, electronics, machineries and equipment, and transportation.

Abu Dhabi has built an investment-friendly ecosystem that supports innovation-driven businesses by providing access to partnerships, funding, and opportunities within non-oil sectors, and by presenting attractive investment and partnership prospects for both local and international investors. The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), ADDED’s arm to develop and regulate the industrial sector, has been active in launching initiatives, and in attracting global players to Abu Dhabi to achieve the objectives of ADIS.

A key initiative of ADIS, the Abu Dhabi Channel Partners programme is enhancing Abu Dhabi’s global competitiveness, attracting foreign and domestic direct investments (DDIs and FDIs) and attracting talent to significantly increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the Emirate’s non-oil GDP.

Abu Dhabi’s inaugural DRIFTx, an international platform and exhibition for smart, autonomous, and sustainable urban mobility applications across air, land, and sea, concluded recently at Yas Marina Circuit. The event gathered 80 international mobility experts and innovators and 75 global exhibitors igniting discussions on the latest trends and showcasing innovations and breakthroughs in transportation and sustainable mobility.

The event was held in collaboration with the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, Bayanat, and key local and international strategic partners.

A first of its kind global event, DRIFTx  showcased a never-before-seen display of flying taxis, driverless cars, and autonomous boats, and other one-of-a-kind experiences for its 3000+ attendees. The participants are made up of representatives from the global mobility ecosystem, including multi-national organizations, governments, investors, academia, regulatory bodies, the global start-up community, and civil society.