Emirates Growth Fund Unveils National Champions Program at MIITE 2026

One year after its debut at Make it in the Emirates 2026, Emirates Growth Fund launched the National Champions Program (NCP), a trilateral initiative developed alongside the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism to identify and systematically scale the UAE’s most capable industrial SMEs.

At the same time, EGF signed a strategic industrial resilience agreement with ADNOC and MOIAT to strengthen domestic supply chains and accelerate the localization of critical industrial capabilities.

The twin announcements mark a defining milestone in EGF’s first year, underscoring its expanding role in deploying capital, advancing national industrial priorities, and building a long-term platform for the growth of UAE industrial champions.

The National Champions Program was officially unveiled by H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of Emirates Growth Fund, and H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy.

It is open to UAE-based manufacturing SMEs in priority sectors. Further details on eligibility and the application process will be announced in due course.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said, “The UAE is building an ambitious industrial model based on enablement, partnership, and turning national potential into sustainable production. The Ruwad Al Watan Program embodies that approach by helping high-potential manufacturers to grow, integrate into national value chains, and contribute to a more resilient and competitive industrial base in line with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and Make it in the Emirates.”

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said, “The National Champions Program reflects the UAE’s resolve to build globally competitive industrial businesses from within the country. By enabling high-potential SMEs to scale, we are accelerating diversification, deepening industrial resilience, and reinforcing the UAE’s emergence as a premier economic and manufacturing hub regionally and globally.”

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, and Chairman of Emirates Growth Fund, said: “In its first year, EGF has focused on building the foundations of a more integrated industrial ecosystem, where capital, policy and market access work together to enable companies to scale with strength and discipline. The launch of initiatives such as NCP marks the next phase of our journey. It represents a more structured and coordinated approach to scaling high-potential UAE manufacturers. And as we enter the second year, our focus remains clear to support the development of globally competitive enterprises that are built to endure, contribute to national capability, and play a defining role in shaping the UAE’s industrial future.”