Etihad Airways joins In-Country Value Programme, aims to support local industries

UAE based national carrier Etihad Airways announced that it has become the country’s first airline to join the In-Country Value (ICV) Programme.

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) is expanding the programme’s scope to include new sectors like aviation as part of the national industrial strategy to sustain economic growth and raise the efficiency and competitiveness of the industrial sector.

The ICV, part of the UAE’s Projects of the 50, is a pillar of the national industrial strategy and benefits certified companies by increasing local demand for their products and services. By joining the programme, Etihad Airways will prioritise local suppliers and UAE companies in the procurement process.

It will also encourage global suppliers to establish branches in the UAE, attracting more foreign investments to the country.

Etihad Airways joins UAE’s In-Country Value Programme to boost aviation’s contribution to industrial sector#WamNews https://t.co/moCIOhrvVq pic.twitter.com/cWMWHOGaIe

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The MoU was inked on behalf of MoIAT by Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, undersecretary of the Ministry and for Etihad Airways, Tony Douglas, group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group.

Etihad Airways joins 18 other leading national institutions and 45 federal entities that have joined the ICV Programme since it launched on a federal level late last year. The programme redirected more than Dhs41bn in 2021 from implementing entities purchases and services expenses, compared to Dhs27bn two years ago.

Al Suwaidi said, “The initiative encourages the growth of the industrial sector in the UAE, supports the creation of quality jobs, and provides incentives for companies to adopt advanced technologies. Certification is awarded based on criteria such as the value of spending and investment in the country, Emiratization and the adoption of advanced technology.”

He added, “The programme also helps to create more robust, efficient supply chains and underlines the close cooperation between the ministry, federal and local authorities, and major national companies. Purchasing the services of programme members will become one of the most important means of supporting and empowering the UAE industrial sector over the course of the next 50 years.”

This aims to increase the number of certified vendors from 5,000 to 7,300 companies and increase government expenditure on Emirati products and services from Dhs33bn in 2020 to Dhs55bn by 2025.