UAE Dh1 billion National Industrial Resilience Fund portal opens for applications

Emirates Development Bank (EDB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), has activated the online portal for financing applications under the Dh1 billion National Industrial Resilience Fund (NIRF) through EDB’s website. The Fund is a strategic national initiative that aims to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity, enhance the resilience of national supply chains and accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies.

The portal launch coincided with a meeting of the Fund’s Joint Governance Committee, chaired by MoIAT with the Ministry of Finance and EDB as members, at MoIAT’s office in Dubai. The committee discussed the Fund’s financing and operating mechanisms to ensure efficient implementation and to facilitate access for eligible industrial companies.

The initiative forms part of MoIAT’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the UAE’s industrial sector by connecting priority critical products with financing solutions and domestic manufacturing capabilities. This approach supports the development of an integrated ecosystem and sustainable industrial growth.

MoIAT and EDB invited new factories and existing industrial companies in eligible sectors and products that are seeking to expand or develop integrated manufacturing projects to apply for financing. Priority will be given to investments that support the localization of strategic and critical industries, import substitution and the resilience of national industrial supply chains. Eligibility criteria and applications are available on EDB’s website.

Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “The start of operations of the Dh1 billion National Industrial Resilience Fund is a key step towards empowering the national industrial sector and strengthening its global competitiveness, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and Make it in the Emirates. The Fund supports the localization of critical industries, strengthens supply chain resilience and advances import substitution, while accelerating the adoption of AI solutions in production and operations. This will strengthen the national industrial sector’s capacity to produce critical and priority products and enhance the UAE’s economic security.”

“We aim to drive a qualitative transformation in domestic production through the localization of critical industries, import substitution and developing advanced industries, ensuring greater resilience of local supply chains and reducing dependence on external sources. This will also support national value creation and the development of strategic reserves of critical industrial products. The Fund serves as a mechanism to connect priority industrial opportunities with the financing needed to implement them. In collaboration with EDB and our partners, we are working to turn market needs and industrial demand into productive projects that enhance the competitiveness of the industrial sector and its sustainable growth. We invite investors, new factories and existing manufacturers undertaking expansion projects in critical sectors to apply for the concessional financing provided by the Fund.”

Ahmed Mohamed Al Naqbi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Development Bank, said: “The National Industrial Resilience Fund is an important step towards strengthening the UAE’s industrial capabilities and reducing reliance on imports of essential goods. Through our partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, EDB will provide targeted financing to help eligible manufacturers establish new factories, expand existing operations and increase local production in priority sectors.

By linking financing to confirmed market demand, we can support commercially viable projects that strengthen national supply chains and create new opportunities for UAE manufacturers. We encourage eligible businesses to apply through EDB’s website and take advantage of the financing available to support their growth.”

Dh1 billion

In April 2026, ahead of the fifth edition of Make it in the Emirates, the UAE Cabinet announced the establishment of the Dh1 billion National Industrial Resilience Fund (approximately USD 272.3 million). The five-year fund provides financing to industrial companies to support the localization of critical industries, promote national products, enhance domestic supply chain resilience and accelerate the adoption of AI and advanced technologies in the industrial sector.

Priority Sectors

The Fund targets strategic industrial sectors based on an approved list of eligible products. These include pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies, as well as food and food processing industries to ensure the stability of food supply chains, alongside other strategic industries approved by the Joint Governance Committee. The Fund also encourages eligible projects to adopt advanced manufacturing technologies, including industrial AI and automation.

The Fund provides loans to finance capital expenditure for new factories, production lines, machinery, expansion and integration, as well as the expansion of integrated storage infrastructure in targeted industrial sectors. The Fund also offers financing facilities to build manufacturers’ strategic inventories, finance supplier payments and provide working capital to increase production. 

Fund benefits

Benefits include financing for critical industrial projects at 0% interest until the end of the program period, subject to an annual service fee of 0.75%. Financing is capped at Dh100 million per group, with capital expenditure financing covering up to 80 per cent of eligible project costs. Both new and existing factories may qualify, subject to the Fund’s terms and conditions and EDB’s credit assessment criteria.