UAE courts Japanese factories with AI pilot projects, Abu Dhabi invite

Key Points

1. UAE industry ministry wrapped a Tokyo and Kyoto visit focused on AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
2. Delegation led by Undersecretary Hasan Jasem Al Nowais joined roundtables in both cities with officials and companies.
3. Abu Dhabi wants Japanese technology providers working directly with Emirati factories, not just government-level agreements.

The latest:

Pilot projects putting artificial intelligence inside UAE factories — in quality inspection and predictive maintenance — emerged as the concrete ask from an Emirati industrial mission to Japan. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said its delegation held engagements in Tokyo and Kyoto covering industry, technology and AI, and closed by inviting Japanese companies and investors to an Abu Dhabi event in 2027.

Details:

• The delegation: The ministry said the working visit was led by Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, with engagements spread across Tokyo and Kyoto. The stated purpose was strengthening cooperation in industry, technology and artificial intelligence between the two countries.
• Tokyo track: Al Nowais took part in the UAE–Japan Technology and Artificial Intelligence Roundtable, which brought together officials and public- and private-sector representatives from both sides. According to the ministry, talks covered industrial partnerships, artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, digital manufacturing and precision manufacturing.
• Kyoto track: The second engagement was the 23rd Science and Technology in Society Forum Ministerial Roundtable, where discussions centered on tying academic research to industry. The ministry framed the goal as applying research in real manufacturing environments to address factory requirements and production challenges.
• The specific ask: Al Nowais said the UAE wants direct partnerships between technology providers and Emirati manufacturers, built around pilot projects deploying advanced industrial solutions. He named AI-driven quality inspection and predictive maintenance as target applications, alongside skills development and faster technology adoption across industry.
• The platform: The Factory Forward UAE initiative was presented as the vehicle meant to convert these partnerships into tangible outcomes. Al Nowais described it as a unified platform, without detailing how many Japanese firms have engaged with it or what funding sits behind it.
• The framing: Al Nowais described the UAE–Japan economic relationship as a long-standing partnership spanning many sectors, and said it offers “significant opportunities to deepen industrial and technological collaboration, exchange expertise, foster innovation and enhance industrial competitiveness.”
• The stated payoff: The ministry said the cooperation is aimed at boosting productivity, quality and sustainability across industrial operations, and at identifying opportunities to turn innovation and scientific advances into practical solutions that strengthen industrial competitiveness.
• The closing invitation: The visit ended with an invitation to Japanese companies, investors and industrial leaders to join Make it in the Emirates, scheduled for Abu Dhabi from 3 to 6 May 2027. No agreements, memoranda or investment figures were announced alongside the invitation.

Background:

Make it in the Emirates is the UAE’s flagship industrial event, used to court foreign manufacturers and investors into domestic production. Factory Forward UAE is the ministry’s programme for pushing advanced technology adoption into existing Emirati plants.

Between the lines:

The emphasis on direct links between technology providers and manufacturers — rather than state-level memoranda — points to a ministry trying to move past declaratory diplomacy. The two named use cases, quality inspection and predictive maintenance, are deployments that pay back quickly on a factory floor, which suggests Abu Dhabi is pitching Japanese firms on near-term commercial pilots rather than long-horizon research tie-ups. Nothing binding was announced.

What’s next

Watch whether named Japanese firms sign on to Factory Forward UAE pilots, and how many commit to Make it in the Emirates in Abu Dhabi, 3–6 May 2027.