Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The industrial sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has seen a remarkable growth within 2018 with a growth rate of manufacturing industries advancing to 5.9%, according to Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Activities 2018 report.

The sector has witnessed the entry of 42 industrial facilities with total investments of AED 12.3 billion in line with an increase in exports and licences issued, the report added.

The emirate’s manufacturing sector of non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) has become the third largest contributor in GDP’s non-oil industries in the oil-rich emirate with an added value of AED 49.3 billion in 2018, compared to AED 46.5 billion in 2017.

The manufacturing industries’ contribution to non-oil GDP rose to 12.1% in 2018 from 11.5% a year earlier, the report highlighted.

Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, chairman of ADDED, said that manufacturing is one of the leading sectors in Abu Dhabi, driving its sustainable economic development within the government’s goals to bolster non-oil sector activities and boost its contribution to the emirate’s GDP.

The report also noted that the number of new licences, expected to boost production in the next years, increased by 37.2% to 118 licences in 2018 with an investment of AED 2.3 billion, versus 86 licenses in 2017.

Exports within the manufacturing industries jumped 8.8% year-on-year to AED 24.8 billion in 2018, versus AED 22.8 billion, according to the report.

Moreover, the growth rate of imports of the manufacturing industries increased by 5.2% in 2018 AED 41 billion from AED 39 billion a year ago.