Emirates Growth Fund Launches National Champions Program at MIITE 2026
Emirates Growth Fund concluded its participation at Make it in the Emirates 2026 with a series of landmark agreements and strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening the UAE’s industrial resilience, localising supply chains, and accelerating the growth of manufacturing SMEs across the country.
Held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, the event marked a significant milestone for the Emirates Growth Fund (EGF) as it completed its first year of operations with the launch of the National Champions Program (NCP), a flagship initiative designed to support high-potential UAE manufacturing companies with growth capital, governance support, and institutional partnerships.
The programme was launched in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. It aims to help local manufacturing SMEs scale into globally competitive enterprises by addressing structural challenges that often limit their expansion beyond early-stage growth.
The launch ceremony was attended by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, and Najla Al Midfa.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi said the UAE’s economic strength is built on an integrated ecosystem of institutions and investment vehicles that support the competitiveness of critical sectors.
He noted that the Emirates Growth Fund plays an important role in empowering national industrial SMEs through long-term growth capital and strategic support aimed at strengthening governance frameworks, institutional capacity, and market access.
One of the key developments announced during MIITE 2026 was a trilateral strategic agreement between the Emirates Growth Fund, the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and ADNOC to establish a national framework focused on strengthening industrial resilience and localising critical supply chains.
The agreement is expected to create greater opportunities for UAE manufacturing SMEs to integrate into ADNOC’s industrial and energy ecosystem while enhancing the country’s local production capabilities.
In addition, EGF signed a series of collaborative partnerships with UAE banks, industrial ecosystem partners, and enablers to improve SME access to financing, institutional support, and business connectivity.
Khalifa Al Hajeri said the agreements signed during the event reflect the fund’s broader mission of not only investing in businesses but also helping build sustainable industrial enterprises capable of supporting the UAE’s long-term economic ambitions.
MIITE 2026 also marked the first anniversary of the Emirates Growth Fund since its establishment. To commemorate the occasion, EGF hosted a private gathering for board members, institutional partners, portfolio founders, and stakeholders to reflect on the fund’s progress over the past year and discuss future growth plans.
The event reinforced EGF’s growing role as a national growth capital partner supporting the UAE’s industrial transformation agenda and fostering a more resilient and globally competitive manufacturing sector.
