Made in the UAE: 9 companies that make medicines, perfumes, aircraft parts and much more

The UAE is home to a thriving manufacturing industry that produces a diverse range of goods. While Strata makes advanced composite structures for plane makers Boeing and Airbus, RAK Ceramics rolls out bathroom fittings which are exported to several countries. Perfumes are in big demand in the UAE. So are medicines. Both are made in the country. Find out more about them.

Perfumes – Swiss Arabian. Hussein Adam Ali, a Yemeni perfumer, founded Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group in 1974. The company based in Sharjah claims to be the first perfume maker in the country that has pioneered the creation of a wide range of unique fragrances that perfectly fuse the combination of heritage and technical expertise. The company has grown and expanded its reach to over 80 countries and more than 1,000 sales points. The brand attained Superbrand Status after a strict selection process by the UAE Superbrands Council in 2019. The company also recently started an online store amid the pandemic.

Al Barakah Dates to set up world’s largest privately owned date factory in Dubai Industrial City. The firm will be able to process over 100,000 tonnes of date and date products. The factory, which will cover a total area of 600,000 square feet, is expected to be completed in early 2022. The expansion comes as date production rises year-on-year, driven by demand for healthier sugar alternatives and fuelled by modern technologies that have helped the products compete as healthy and vegan alternatives to sugar and other fructose-based products.

Bathroom fittings – RAK Ceramics. The company – one of the biggest names in tiles and sanitary ware in the region – was founded in Ras Al Khaimah in 1989 by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, now Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. They produce 110 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitary ware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at 16 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India, Bangladesh and Iran.

Airline parts – Strata. The Al Ain, UAE-based Strata Manufacturing PJSC (Strata) is a home-grown success story. The advanced composite aero-structures manufacturer has formed partnerships with the world’s leading airframers, like Boeing and Airbus, delivering more than 50,000 components. Strata has become a Tier 1 supplier to the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). 58 per cent of its employees are Emirati nationals, of whom nearly 90 per cent are women. Most of these highly skilled workers are directly involved in manufacturing operations.

Strata is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company and is part of the Aerospace, Renewables & ICT platform that aims to advance the development of a leading aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi.

Firearms — Caracal. Named after the wild cat, Caracal has its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Founded in 2007, Caracal, a company owned by Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), produces a variety of original small arms for the military and law enforcement arms. According to a regional media outlet. the company has four factories in Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Germany and the US. It manufactures pistols and rifles for military use.

Pharmaceuticals — Julphar. Founded in Ras Al Khaimah in 1980, Julphar, or Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries was established under the guidance of Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the late ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. The company has 16 internationally accredited facilities in Africa, the Middle East and Asia produce more than a million boxes of medicine a day. In 2012, the company became the first in the Middle East to make the raw ingredients for insulin, through their UAE-based biotechnology facility.

Aluminium — Emirates Global Aluminium. The company, which was launched in 1975, supplies aluminum used in everything from window frames to electric cars. Emirates Global Aluminum have made the UAE one of the biggest exporters of aluminum in the world. They are, in fact, one of the top five.

Camel milk. Camelicous Camel milk was being drunk for centuries by Arabs and it has many health benefits. Modern Emiratis turned the brand into ice cream or chocolate coating to sell it to the rest of the world. What first started as research lab in Dubai, has now become a major business exporting camel milk products to the rest of the world.

Make up — Huda Beauty. A major local brand, Huda Beauty started in Dubai and is now a mega brand sold worldwide in Sephor and more. Launched by Iraqi-American makeup artist Huda Kattan, the beauty company offers lip glosses, lip creams, lashes, eyeshadow pallets, perfumes and more.