The Kingdom of Morocco has become the fifth country to join the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, aimed at strengthening regional industrial integration.
The meetings were held in the presence of Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain with the participation of Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Engineer Ahmed Samir Saleh, Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Yousef Al Shamali, Jordan’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, and Mr. Riyad Mazour, Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade.
The Executive Committee of the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development held meetings with officials, including industry and trade undersecretaries from the partner countries, to discuss the progress of current projects and new proposals.
The industrial partnership has received robust support from member countries since its launch in Abu Dhabi in May 2022. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the partnership’s role as a framework for cooperation and integration in the region, accelerating sustainable development, strengthening crisis resilience and increasing self-sufficiency in critical areas such as food, health, energy and industry among others.
The launch ceremony was witnessed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, Dr. Bisher Al-Khasawneh, Prime Minister of Jordan and Dr. Moustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt.
During the meeting, UAE’s W Motors, the strategic partner of NWTN Motors, and Jordan’s Manaseer Group signed an agreement to establish an electric car manufacturing plant in Jordan, with an investment value of $80 million.
Additionally, Manaseer Group and Bahrain’s Alba signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to supply 13,000 tons of aluminum fluoride annually, contributing to an import substitution value of $20 million. Bahrain’s Alba also signed an MoU with Jordan Phosphate Mines for silica supply, contributing to an import substitution value of $66 million.
Bahrain Steel signed a supply agreement with Emirates Steel, which will purchase 2 million tons of raw materials over five years, valued at $2 billion. A MoU was also signed between the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce leveraging the UAE’s National In-Country Value (ICV) Program.
The initiative is aimed at sharing best practices with respect to local content programs.
Mr. Adel Fakhro, stressed the Bahraini government’s commitment to the development of the industrial sector, embodied by the event being hosted in Manama under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Mr. Adel Fakhro pointed to the event’s role in achieving industrial integration among the member countries in line with Bahrain’s Industrial Sector Strategy 2022-26.
Mr. Adel Fakhro commented that “The meeting saw the signing of a memorandum of cooperation under the National In-Country Program between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, a key industrial enabler for procurement competitiveness and import substitution in both countries.”
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Dr. Al Jaber relayed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, as well as his wishes for the partnership’s further success, especially in strengthening relations between countries to leverage competitive advantages.
H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry & Advanced Technology
“We welcome the Kingdom of Morocco’s addition to the partnership, given its leading industrial and economic status, and achievements across various sectors, particularly industry, which is vital to supporting investment opportunities. In the UAE, we believe that forming strategic partnerships is a fundamental pillar of achieving national economic, social, and developmental objectives. This integrated industrial partnership, originating in Abu Dhabi in May 2022, is a model of successful regional partnerships. We are pleased to witness the announcement and signing of five new projects and export agreements in priority sectors, with a total value of approximately $2.2 billion, enhancing cooperation between the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce in line with the National ICV Program.”
Mr. Yousef Al Shamali welcomed each of the ministers and emphasized the partnership’s importance in accelerating sustainable economic development in the region.
Mr. Al Shamali said that “The partnership is a regional model for enhancing sustainable economic growth and development through strategic planning. A key aspect of the partnership is leveraging raw materials in Arab countries, which represent 75 percent of their global exports, to build an industrial system that uplifts economies.”
Engineer Ahmed Samir Saleh, Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Trade, welcomed Morocco to the partnership, stressing that Egypt is looking forward to the cooperation and to building upon the country’s competitive advantages, vision and investments.
Eng. Saleh emphasized Egypt’s commitment to the projects launched under the partnership, which will benefit from each partner countries’ industrial capabilities and contribute to sustainable economic growth amid a turbulent global economy.
Mr. Mazour, stated that “Joining the industrial partnership is in line with the vision of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, to strengthen cooperation and achieve greater economic development. It will contribute to sustainable economic development, it also represents an opportunity for us to further integrate and develop projects that generate growth and employment opportunities for national talent.”
Morocco is expected to bring significant value to the partnership, given the country’s advanced industrial capabilities, particularly in the automotive, renewable energy, aviation, textiles, pharmaceuticals, phosphate, mining and food industries, in addition to its strong talent base, advanced infrastructure, and global partnerships.
