The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology on Friday joined its BRICS counterparts in signing a declaration to launch a Centre for Industrial Competences in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to support the development of Industrial skills and capabilities.

The declaration was made at the 8th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting, bringing industry, trade and technology ministries together from the UAE, Russia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, and South Africa. The meeting, chaired by Russia, takes place under the theme of “strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security”.

The centre will promote partnerships within the framework of the New Industrial Revolution (NIR) to identify interests, challenges, and opportunities in the rapidly evolving industrial landscape. In addition, the centre aims to enable industry and the develop industrial skills of its members.

Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, signed the declaration on behalf of the UAE. Commending Russia’s chairmanship of the meeting, he said, “BRICS countries represent almost 45 percent of the world's population and account for almost a third of the world's GDP, indicating a significant opportunity for collaborative industrial progress and sustainable development. The UAE is committed to strengthening ties with its global partners to capture mutual economic opportunities, which is a major driver of sustainable development and a means to address major global challenges, such as food security and climate change.”

He added, “The ministry looks forward to contributing to the working groups being created under this partnership and bringing its expertise to the table to develop and enable industrial growth for the mutual benefit of all members.

The declaration includes discussions to create several working groups, including the chemical industry, metals, SMEs, smart manufacturing, clean technology and medical equipment.

Under the declaration, the members emphasised their commitment to cooperating on industrial policy in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, including the implementation of green technologies.

In addition, the declaration recognises the role of the PartNIR (Partnership on New Industrial Revolution) Innovation Centre, which focuses on policy coordination, personnel training and project development.

The centre has hosted events such as the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Exhibition, the BRICS Forum on PartNIR, the BRICS Industrial Innovation Contest, and the BRICS Forum on Future Networks Innovation. The signatories also recognised the efforts of the BRICS Startup Forum in supporting start-ups’ projects that play a crucial role in driving innovation and economic growth in the era of the New Industrial Revolution.

The meeting concluded with a review of agreements and decisions made during previous meetings to deepen BRICS cooperation in, industrialisation, innovation, inclusiveness and investment, including the Johannesburg II Declaration of 23rd August 2023.

The delegates extended their support to Brazil for hosting the 9th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting taking place in 2025.

In August 2023, six new members were invited to join BRICS, including the UAE, which officially joined in January 2024. Forecasts suggest that BRICS could account for 45 percent of the global economy by 2040.