Automation in the UAE
An industrial base and a clean-energy grid, built at the same time
The UAE is building out its industrial base and its clean-energy grid at the same time, and is turning to digital twins across manufacturing, utilities and real estate. Here is what is driving demand and what Wartens offers.
In short
This briefing sets out what is driving automation demand in the UAE: the national industrial strategy (Operation 300bn), the In-Country Value programme, solar-plus-storage projects in Abu Dhabi, digital twin research for Dubai's manufacturing SMEs, and growth in predictive maintenance, with links to sources. It then lists the services Wartens offers from Abu Dhabi.
The UAE in numbers
Industry and energy
Dh300bn
target contribution of industry to GDP by 2031, up from Dh133bn in 2021
Dh262bn
of industrial exports in 2025, with the sector's GDP contribution up nearly 70% since 2021
AED 110bn
of public spending redirected to local manufacturers through In-Country Value since 2020
19 GWh
battery system paired with a 5.2 GW solar plant in Abu Dhabi to deliver 1 GW round the clock
$544.9M
forecast size of the UAE predictive maintenance market in 2031, double its 2026 size
Figures come from the sources linked above, as published by October 2026.
What is driving demand
Where UAE automation work is coming from
- 01
Operation 300bn
The national industrial strategy aims to lift industry's GDP contribution from Dh133 billion in 2021 to Dh300 billion by 2031; the sector's contribution has risen nearly 70% since 2021 and industrial exports passed Dh262 billion in 2025.
- 02
Local manufacturing preference
The In-Country Value programme has redirected more than AED 110 billion of public spending to local manufacturers since 2020.
- 03
Gigascale solar and storage
Masdar and EWEC are building a 5.2 GW solar plant with a 19 GWh battery system in Abu Dhabi to deliver 1 GW round the clock, targeted for 2027.
- 04
Digital twins for manufacturing SMEs
A Dubai Future Foundation research project is building AI-powered digital twins to modernise Dubai's manufacturing SMEs, in support of the D33 economic agenda.
- 05
Predictive maintenance
The UAE predictive maintenance market is forecast to double from USD 271.6 million in 2026 to USD 544.9 million in 2031, with digital twin software the fastest-growing segment.
What we offer
What we offer in the UAE
The services we lead with locally, what you get and who they suit best.
Industry 4.0 upgrades
Lead offerPLC and SCADA modernisation, data capture, IIoT and predictive maintenance for existing plants.
Best fit: Manufacturers in food, plastics, metals, pharma
Digital twins
Lead offerOperational twins for plants and buildings with live data, energy optimisation and what-if simulation, through iUNI.
Best fit: Manufacturers, utilities, facility operators
Virtual showrooms and configurators
Lead offerProducts and properties in 3D, viewable on any device, before they are built, through iUNI.
Best fit: Real estate developers, equipment suppliers
VR safety and operations training
Lead offerHigh-risk procedures practised in VR for oil, gas and energy, plus VR PLC labs.
Best fit: Energy companies, plant operators, training providers
Solar and storage controls
SCADA, monitoring and controller logic for solar-plus-storage and commercial sites.
Best fit: EPC contractors and developers
Solar for NRI families
Rooftop solar for family homes in Kerala, arranged entirely from the Gulf: video site survey, fixed PDF quote, online milestone payments, photo updates (Wartens Energy).
Best fit: Indian families living in the UAE
Engineering training
PLC, SCADA and robotics courses through edWartens.
Best fit: Employers and engineers
Standards
We work to IEC-based electrical standards and to each client's and utility's own specifications.
Local presence
Office in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, with engineering delivered from our India centre.
Talk to our team in Abu Dhabi
Send us your drawings, code or site details and we'll come back with a written scope, schedule and price.
Contact us now