Launched as part of “Projects of the 50”, the National In-Country Value (ICV) Program is a UAE government initiative aimed at generating economic benefits through redirecting government procurement expenditures and those of leading national companies to the UAE economy through the industrial and services sectors. It encompasses the total amount spent within the country on manufacturing, local products and services, and other national investments.

The National In-Country Value Program is one of the ministry's pillars to support this ambitious national vision, attract talent and investors, build more qualitative economic partnerships, and support efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in vital and priority products. It also empowers national talent and Emirati entrepreneurs through The Industrialist Career Exhibition, an initiative by the National ICV Program, to enhance the growth and competitiveness of the UAE's industrial sector both locally and internationally, especially in vital, priority, and future industries while enabling a supportive environment for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises that will benefit from localizing procurement to strengthen their role and operations.

Since its implementation, the program has resulted in a qualitative increase in the expenditure of major national companies on local procurement and services, reaching AED48 billion by the end of the first half of 2024. During the same timeframe, the number of entities joining the program has also seen a qualitative increase to 31 local and federal government entities, and major national companies. In addition, investments of ICV-certified companies totalled AED205 billion, marking an increase of 20% compared to the same period in 2023.

The growth in the National ICV Program has a positive economic impact on the UAE, by boosting its investment attractiveness through the robust investment environment offered to attract more foreign and local investments in the industrial sector.

The program’s growth builds on its earlier successes, where it reached AED53 billion in end-2022, an increase of 25% over 2021. By end- 2023, this number reached AED67 billion, with a growth rate of 26% in local spending on products and services among the entities implementing and joining the program. The value of investments by registered suppliers within the country exceeded AED200 billion in 2023.

MoIAT also recorded a considerable increase in the number of Emiratis working in private sector companies certified by the program. The number of Emiratis employed in companies holding the "National In-Country Value" certificate by the end of the first half of 2024 reached approximately 19,000, a 40% increase over the first half of 2023. This aligns with the ministry's efforts to support the training and upskilling of Emirati cadres to enhance their readiness for integration into the labor market, and reflects the coordination and cooperation between the ministry and the companies participating in the program.

The program has vitally contributed to increasing confidence in the national industrial sector, making the UAE a preferred destination for local and foreign industrial investments. It has also enhanced investment attractiveness in the sector, created promising job opportunities for Emiratis in the private sector, and boosted the efficiency and competitiveness of Emirati industries in regional and international markets. In addition, it has developed advanced technology enabled industrial sectors to meet the targets of industrial growth, productivity, and sustainability in the country.

MoIAT and its strategic partners continue to identify local manufacturing opportunities at competitive prices in line with the requirements of national companies. Covering 11 vital sectors, these adhere to the highest production quality standards and sustainability requirements.