MoIAT And EDB Unveil Make It In The Emirates Accelerator

UAE-based Emirates Development Bank (EDB) has unveiled the Make it in the Emirates Accelerator in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) with the aim to accelerate the development of high-potential industrial startups in the country. 

The accelerator was launched at the Make it in the Emirates 2025 event held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, with HE Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of EDB, in attendance.

The new platform is dedicated to fostering industrial entrepreneurship by providing founders with strategic resources, technical support, market access, and mentorship to help scale their operations and strengthen the nation’s economic resilience and competitiveness. 

The initiative targets companies in key sectors, including food security, healthcare, renewables, advanced technology, and manufacturing. Through patient capital, customized financial solutions, and access to a dynamic ecosystem, EDB will support the expansion of businesses producing world-class products made in the UAE. 

In a statement, HE Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of MoIAT, stated, “We continue to launch initiatives that enhance the competitiveness of the industrial sector by providing key enablers and incentives. The Make it in the Emirates Accelerator reflects our shared ambition with EDB to realize the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology goals. The initiative seeks to empower a distinguished group of entrepreneurs by fostering an ecosystem of support, financing, and innovation. This will unlock new opportunities for UAE-made products to compete globally and inspire the next generation of industrial leaders.” 

HE Ahmed Mohamed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank, added, “Turning Make it in the Emirates into a global brand starts with empowering the right entrepreneurs—the ones with ambition, resilience, and world-class ideas. That’s exactly who this accelerator is for. Through this program, we are offering entrepreneurs a valuable opportunity to transform ideas into globally impactful projects, giving them the tools to scale, the networks to grow, and the confidence to lead.” 

Al Naqbi continued, “Since launching our strategy in 2021, EDB has provided more than AED18.7 billion in financing and created over 32,000 jobs, and we’re just getting started. The Make it in the Emirates Accelerator is our next step in building a future-ready industrial economy, where innovation becomes a national export in its own right.” 

At the event, EDB showcased the inaugural group of startups backed by the accelerator. This cohort includes organic food producer Pure Soil, the health-oriented beverage brand specializing in award-winning probiotic beverages, Yala Kombucha, the homegrown electric motorbike company transforming sustainable transportation, Sulmi, and Dein, a luxury leather goods startup that blends Emirati craftsmanship with contemporary design. 

The accelerator also aligns with EDB’s broader strategy to build robust industrial ecosystems in collaboration with national platforms such as MoIAT’s Make it in the Emirates campaign, the Manufacturing Accelerator, and AgriX. As the program expands, more entrepreneurs will be onboarded, contributing to the UAE’s goals under Operation 300bn and reinforcing the country’s position as a global hub for industrial innovation. 

Pictured in the lead image is a scene from the launch ceremony of the Make it in the Emirates Accelerator. Image courtesy EDB.