#UAE #science - UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a decision to establish the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies, creating an integrated national pathway linking education, research and talent development to the UAE’s strategic industries. The programme’s first phase includes six tracks: Technical Education and National Talent, National Service, Flagship Initiative, Global Challenge, Global Talent Attraction, and Technical Research and Innovation. The new national programme will be overseen by a Higher Committee chaired by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
SO WHAT? - The UAE’s investment in research and development has grown steadily year-on-year and was estimated by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre as reaching 1.5 percent of GDP in 2021. Unofficial estimates now put the country’s annual R&D investment at 1.9 percent of GDP. The growth in computational and computer-assisted R&D has accelerated over the past ten years, with significant increases in both investment and the talent pool. This growth has largely been driven by independent institutions such as R&D labs, major holding groups, multinationals and research universities, creating thousands of new jobs. The establishment of the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies, there is now an entity to drive talent development and employment at a national level.
KEY POINTS:
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a decision to establish the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies.
The new national programme links education, research and development and talent-building directly to the UAE’s strategic and advanced industries, aiming to strengthen national sovereignty and competitiveness in priority sectors.
A Higher Committee for the National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies has also been established to set strategic direction, approve budgets and track the programme’s progress and national impact.
The Higher Committee is chaired by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan with H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Deputy Chairman,
Committee membership include:
H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs;
H.E. Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology;
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman bin Abdulmannan Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; and
H.E. Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Advisor to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC)l, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi's advanced defence technology group EDGE.
The programme is designed to connect research capabilities, educational institutions and innovation centres to industrial priorities, driving technical solutions that can be manufactured, scaled and exported.
An Executive Committee, chaired by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, will review and approve plans and initiatives proposed under the programme’s tracks before submitting them to the Higher Committee for final approval.
A dedicated programme office will coordinate with track leaders, monitor implementation of approved initiatives, issue periodic progress reports, and build local and international partnerships to support the programme.
Additional tracks may be added as the programme develops, with further directives expected from the UAE President as priorities evolve.
ZOOM OUT - The National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies is established one year after the UAE Cabinet reconstituted the Emirates Research and Development Council (ERDC) in September 2025. Under the chair of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ERDC is responsible for the UAE’s Research and Development Governance Policy, to include setting national R&D priorities, building a unified policy framework for funding and governance, and aligning research across government, academia and the private sector. Its 18-member board, including H.E. Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai as Secretary-General alongside representatives from Khalifa University, MBZUAI and NYU Abu Dhabi, was built to turn fragmented national R&D efforts into a single coordinated strategy. The National Programme for Advanced Sciences and Technologies is positioned as the next layer down, building the talent pipeline and industrial connections to fulfil national R&D strategy.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: WAM, MEAIN, UAE Government
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R&D moves up Abu Dhabi’s agenda (Middle East AI News)
UAE puts R&D on the national agenda (Middle East AI News)
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