“Make in Emirates, make for the world”. That has been the pitch coming from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2021. Now, it’s resonating with Indian manufacturers.

Personal-care and pharmaceutical company Himalaya Wellness; electric-vehicle maker Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM); electric-bus manufacturer (and subsidiary of commercial-vehicle giant Ashok Leyland) Switch Mobility; and iron-and-steel-pipe manufacturer Jindal Saw. These are just a few among Indian companies who’re planning to set up fully-operational manufacturing bases across free-trade zones in the UAE.

Others, such as consumer-goods company Dabur, eyewear company Lenskart, and conglomerate Tata already have operations there. Tata’s presence, in particular, is sprawling—from hospitality ventures such as Taj Exotica and The Palm Dubai, to Tata Steel Middle East’s downstream facility to manufacture steel flooring in Jafza. 

Of the total 11,000jafza companies in the Jafza free-trade zone, 2,300Gulf News are Indian. 

We are positioning the UAE as our primary hub for expansion across the Gulf, with a strong focus on EV and CNG two- and three-wheeler segments, and our upcoming drone programme

Uday Narang, founder and CEO, Omega Seiki Mobility

The UAE does have a knack for reimagining barren desert into globally competitive hubs—whether for tourism, technology, or now manufacturing.

India tried to do something similar with its special economic zones (SEZ), or Gujarat’s GIFT city. But the results didn’t come close. While India currently has 276 operational SEZs with around 6,300 companies, the UAE—which is smaller than the state of Bihar in area—has 40 free-trade zones boastingmenafn over 200,000 companies. 

It only helps that the UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the US. In fact, after the two countries signed an economic partnership agreement in 2022, trade between them grewEconomic TimesIndia-UAE Trade at $100 bn since signing CEPA to over $100 billion in FY25 from $72.87 billion in FY22.