Abu Dhabi Unveils Partnership for Regulatory Sandbox Program

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has forged a partnership with Hub71, aiming to propel innovation within the emirate by bolstering the regulatory landscape for products and services.^[1]  

This collaboration marks the inception of the Abu Dhabi Regulatory Sandbox Programme, an innovative platform geared towards uniting companies across key sectors such as health tech, mobility, and agritech with regulatory bodies and policymakers.

The primary objective of this initiative is to cultivate a regulatory environment conducive to the integration of emerging technologies, fostering regulatory innovation through the promotion of collaboration, innovation, and experimentation among participants.

The regulatory sandbox framework provides a unique opportunity for both local and international companies within priority sectors to test their innovations in a real-world setting. This testing phase is instrumental in aiding these enterprises to fine-tune their offerings, potentially paving the way for future launches within the emirate.

In a bid to empower innovators and entrepreneurs, the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COAD) will streamline its processes, enhancing efficiency and service quality. Measures will include expediting the launch timeline for innovative solutions, from development stages to licensing, while also orchestrating a coordination program in partnership with various regulatory bodies to streamline the product launch process.

In 2022, COAD initiated "Abu Dhabi Innovates," a comprehensive framework designed to boost innovation within the emirate.