Alabbar at SIF-WIC 2025: 'Manufacturing will power next wave of UAE growth'

Sharjah: In the presence of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Emaar and Noon.com founder Mohamed Alabbar called for a renewed national focus on manufacturing, describing it as the key engine of the UAE’s next growth phase.

Speaking at the eighth annual Sharjah Investment Forum – World Investment Conference (SIF–WIC 2025), Alabbar said: “If you look at our economy, real estate is only 12% of GDP, but manufacturing is 15%.”

He urged entrepreneurs to “look into manufacturing seriously,” adding, “Start small; buy a 3D printer for your house — it’s not complicated. Do it with honesty and make a good product.”

The remarks came during a fireside chat titled “Vision, Venture, Value: Shaping the Region Through Leadership,” moderated by entrepreneur and radio host Kris Fade.

Reflecting on his early years, Alabbar said his journey began with a simple desire to escape poverty. “When I started, I only wanted to make money. We didn’t have anything and I wanted to break out of poverty,” he said. “But once you make money, you realise payback is not about donations. It’s about good manners, honesty, taking care of your family and your country. I do everything for my country.”

He said every project he undertakes aims to support economic growth. “Every project we do adds 5% to a city’s GDP. We create jobs, we pay taxes, we help small businesses grow, from the window maker to the cake shop owner,” he explained.

On entrepreneurship, Alabbar stressed that quality and integrity define success more than marketing. “If my product is good, it will market itself. I launched a $2 billion project in Egypt in three days, by phone only. No sales centre, no interiors. People trust the product,” he said. “Your product is your name, your family’s name, your country’s name.”

Discussing his foray into technology with Noon.com, Alabbar said his motivation came from frustration over the Arab world’s limited role in the digital economy. “We are 400 million Arabs who use technology five hours a day, but we have nothing to do with it,” he said. “That made me angry. So I decided to do something about it.”

He described Noon’s early challenges as formative. “The first year was tough. I fired 350 out of 400 people. But today, we’re among the best in the world. We compete hard and we don’t give up.”

Alabbar attributed lasting success to discipline. “People say I’m brutal. I’m not brutal. I’m brutally disciplined,” he said. “Discipline of learning, of honesty, of hard work, of quality. Stick with good people. Good people make us better human beings.”

The two-day SIF–WIC 2025, organised by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) in partnership with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), convened over 10,000 participants from 142 countries, featuring 130 speakers, more than 160 sessions, and 120 bilateral meetings under the theme “Transforming Our World: Investing for a Resilient and Sustainable Future.”