New Abu Dhabi government initiative promotes regional buying

Department of Economic Development of Abu Dhabi is gearing up towards realizing a new initiative promoting small and medium-sized firms to promote locally-made products, particularly healthcare supplies that could help to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Initiative has also prompted local and federal state bodies to buy locally-produced supplies.

The action is directed at raising the use of locally-made products, while supporting firms to sell them to state entities, according to the department’s under-secretary, Rashed Al Balooshi.

The administration has already started working with local organizations offering personal protective equipment, purchasing 250,000 surgical masks of a total of 1.1 million that are being provided to federal and local governments.

The department is producing a list of local businesses running in Abu Dhabi that produce healthcare and precautionary supplies that local, federal and semi-government bodies can buy from.

This would not only encourage local firms and ensure their continuity, but it would also contribute towards the government’s efforts in controlling the spread of the virus. According to the Ministry of Economy, SMEs make up more than 94 percent of businesses in the UAE and provide employment for over 86 percent of the country’s private sector workforce.