Her Excellency Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, witnessed the graduation of 100 C-suite leaders from the UAE’s industrial sector who successfully completed the Leadership 4.0 professional training program. 
Implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), in collaboration with the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the program is designed to develop knowledge and skills in the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in industry. Taking place in MoIAT’s headquarters in Dubai, the program aims to enhance the nation’s industrial capacity through Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in line with Make it in the Emirates initiative. 
National capacity building
Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said: “The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is paving the way for the UAE’s industrial future in line with the ambitious vision outlined in ‘We the UAE 2031’, through which we will continue our development journey over the next 50 years.
"The Leadership 4.0 training program is one of the pillars of the national strategy for industry and advanced technology, Operation 300 billion. The ministry is keen to achieve global leadership in the development and innovation of future technologies, in line with national priorities aimed at building a resilient economy based on knowledge and innovation. The ministry also seeks to strengthen the UAE's position as a global center for science and technology, in line with the Technology Transformation Program that aims to accelerate technological transformation in the national industrial sector.”
Her Excellency added: “At the core of Industry 4.0 is capacity building. A common thread throughout the manufacturing companies at the frontier of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is that they have visionary leaders who embrace new technologies. To forge more of these leading figures, MoIAT has invested heavily in various education and training programs associated with 4IR technologies. Initiatives such as Leadership 4.0 are vital to empowering industrial leaders to drive transformation. Through enabling and encouraging leaders to adopt advanced technologies, the Industry 4.0 program raises the competitiveness and sustainability of the industrial sector and increases its production capacity as well as the quality of its products. 
“These outcomes will help to consolidate the UAE's position as a 4IR leader and develop knowledge and skills around advanced technology among industrial leaders. We are grateful to the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence university for its contribution to the UAE’s industrial journey. As a ministry, we value cooperation with institutions and the role they play in promoting the development of 4IR technologies which enhance the performance and competitiveness of the industrial sector and support business growth.”
Professor Eric Xing, President of the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, said: “We are proud to support the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s objectives by training industry leaders to leverage new technologies now and in the future. We look forward to enhancing this cooperation based on our objective to cement the UAE’s position as a global hub for artificial intelligence solutions. The Industry 4.0 program will contribute directly to advancing AI innovations in the industrial sector, which is vital to the future of the national economy.”
Notable participation
The training program aims to develop technical knowledge around the power of AI in smart manufacturing and how it supports the implementation of national objectives. The program raises awareness of Industry 4.0’s core elements, concepts, trends, and values.
The graduates included representatives from leading national and global companies such as Emirates Steel Arkan, Agthia Group, Ittihad Paper Mill, Gulf Coca-Cola Bottling, National Cement Factory LLC, Masafi, and Globalpharma LLC, among others. Many of the companies involved operate in priority sectors, including F&B, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, advanced manufacturing, petrochemicals, and chemical products, rubber and plastics, machinery, and heavy industries.
Keynote speakers included Saqr Bin Ghalib, Director of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office, Pratulkumar Shinde, Associate Vice President, Siemens Advanta Consulting, and Mohittin Kourtev, Director Learning and Innovation, Strategic Programs at Edge Group. Other speakers from global companies included Madhu Hosadurga, Global VP of Artificial Intelligence, Schneider Electric, Nouman Qaiser, Unilever Supply Chain Digital Transformation Manager, and Yasser Ahmed, Schneider Electric MENA Director of Business Development, IoT and Digital.
Faculty members from MBZUAI led interactive sessions. They included Professor Abdulmotaleb El Saddik, Acting Department Chair & Professor – Computer Vision, Dr Meouane Debbah, Adjunct Professor – Machine Learning, Dr Martin Takáč , Associate Professor – Machine Learning, Dr Mohammad Yaqub, Assistant Professor – Computer Vision, and Dr Ahmed Dabbagh, Director of Professional Service. 
Investment opportunities
In addition to exchanging knowledge, the Industry 4.0 program allowed participants to share ideas, explore avenues of collaboration resulting in several business opportunities, as well as encouraged them to support each other’s development. 
Initiatives such as the Champions 4.0 Network involve industry-leading knowledge partners helping industrial companies and SMEs to adopt 4IR solutions, enhancing production capabilities and global competitiveness. This collaborative ecosystem stimulates investment in the UAE’s priority industries, in line with the Make it in the Emirates initiative. 
MoIAT seeks to promote the adoption of 4IR solutions by supporting companies in overcoming barriers to implementation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution Readiness Index is a key pillar of Industry 4.0 and supports businesses in their digital transformation journeys. It involves an assessment of the digital maturity of processes, technologies, and organization of a manufacturing plant, identifying areas for improvement.