National Economic Clusters Policy

The UAE National Economic Clusters Policy establishes a unified national framework to develop competitive and high-impact economic ecosystems across the country. One of its objectives is to increase the national GDP by AED 20-30 billion annually through high-value ecosystem development. The policy is expected to increase stronger FDI inflows, private investment, and export growth. 

National Economic Clusters Policy
U.Ask

National Economic Clusters Policy

The UAE National Economic Clusters Policy establishes a unified national framework to develop competitive and high-impact economic ecosystems across the country. It strengthens national competitiveness by empowering federal and local entities to build interconnected value chains, enhance productivity, attract investment, and support innovation-based growth.

 

Clusters are geographic concentrations of firms and supporting institutions that operate within a related set of economic activities. Effective clusters strengthen coordination, improve access to skills and technology, and accelerate upgrading by creating an environment where firms and institutions benefit from working closely together.

 

Objectives of the policy

The objectives of the policy are to:

  1. increase the national GDP by AED 20-30 billion annually through high-value ecosystem development
  2. increase government revenues by AED 2-3 billion by expanding productive activity and investment flows
  3. boost foreign trade by AED 15 billion through higher export capacity and market integration
  4. create more than 20,000 high-skill jobs in priority clusters
  5. strengthen SME competitiveness, supply-chain participation, and adoption of innovation
  6. support balanced economic development across the UAE by enabling regionally anchored clusters
  7. enhance national competitiveness through innovation, talent development and advanced capabilities.

 

Priorities and key components

Initially, clusters were selected based on economic potential, strategic relevance, ecosystem readiness, and value-chain depth. They are:

  1. food inputs, services and processing
  2. financial services
  3. hospitality and tourism
  4. analytics and communication services.

 

Additional clusters may be designated based on national assessments and emirate-level priorities.

 

The policy is built around 4 main components that guide how the UAE develops its cluster ecosystems. The components are:

  1. National Governance System - This governance structure is designed to bring federal and local entities together with industry under a single framework. This approach ensures alignment and enables strong public–private collaboration.
  2. National Clusters Program - The programme designs cluster strategies, coordinates policies across the UAE, supports SME upgrading, facilitates investment, and drives innovation and talent initiatives.
  3. Standard model for cluster development - All clusters follow a unified development model focused on:
    • value-chain strengthening
    • product and technology upgrading
    • sustainability and digital transformation
    • applied research and innovation collaboration
    • human capital and skills development
    • market access and export readiness.
  4. Results and accountability system - This national monitoring framework measures progress based on productivity, investment, SME participation, innovation outcomes, employment, and export performance.

 

Expected outcomes

The policy is expected to achieve the following outcome:

  1. globally competitive and innovation-driven clusters operating across the UAE
  2. stronger FDI inflows, private investment, and export growth
  3. deeper value chains and increased SME participation in productive activity
  4. increased productivity and national capabilities in strategic sectors
  5. greater economic diversification and emirate-level development
  6. a resilient, future-ready economic structure supported by interconnected ecosystems
  7. quantified outcomes such as AED 20-30 billion annual GDP uplift, AED 2-3 billion revenue increase, AED 15 billion foreign trade growth, and over 20,000 high-skill jobs.
Updated on:

29 Jun 2026