New cluster policy looks to add AED 30 bn to GDP: The Cabinet has approved the National Policy for Economic Clusters as it looks to add AED 30 bn annually to the UAE’s GDP and an additional AED 15 bn in foreign trade value through economic clusters over the next seven years, according to the Dubai Media Office.

The policy will establish nationwide clusters for sectors including financial services, tourism, space, communications and data analytics, and food, looking to draw on the strengths of each emirate. The goal is to open access to global markets and improve the performance of each sector.

We already have a few sector-specific clusters in Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi earlier this year launched a health, endurance, longevity, and medicine cluster called HELM, focused on research and development, drug manufacturing, and biotech. This cluster alone is set to contribute more than AED 94 bn to Abu Dhabi’s GDP, attract more than AED 42 bn in investments, and create some 30k new jobs by 2045. Other clusters in the emirate include the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (SAVI) cluster, which focuses on EV and smart transport development, and the AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance cluster.

Also given the go-ahead: The Cabinet also greenlit the agenda for the annual government meetings to take place between 4 and 6 November in Abu Dhabi, which will focus on economic competitiveness, AI, healthcare, and education. Ministers also signed off an updated aviation emission plan in line with International Civil Aviation Organization targets, as well as new cybersecurity frameworks and the regulatory framework for EV charging stations.

On the international front, the cabinet has ratified 76 agreements and MoUs covering trade, investment, financial cooperation, food safety, and AI applications. It also reconstituted the UAE Digital Economy Council, the Economic Integration Committee, and the Industry Development Council.

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