The Procurement Connect initiative of the Abu Dhabi Chamber enhances small companies’ ability to get into big deals

This initiative brings together Etihad Airways, e& UAE and Adnoc in order to assist companies in preparing for procurement in the future. This programme was launched at a special forum held by the Chamber, which brought together members of various organisations in Abu Dhabi, as well as members of the private sector and media. This shows how committed the Chamber is towards building partnerships throughout the business environment and providing firms with information about procurement opportunities. Procurement Connect is the name of an innovative programme initiated by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in order to help businesses prepare for upcoming procurement opportunities from the top organisations in the emirate.

The forum witnessed the presence of Etihad Airways, e& UAE and Adnoc, where each company shared its future procurement plans and supplier needs, providing opportunities for companies to get involved in their projects.

According to Ali Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Chamber, enhancing the ability of companies to capitalise on future opportunities remains one of the main pillars of the activities that Abu Dhabi Chamber conducts in order to facilitate the development of the private sector. “Through Procurement Connect, Abu Dhabi Chamber reaffirms its dedication to creating a bridge between businesses and prominent companies of the emirate that helps the private sector learn about future opportunities and needs of the market,” he noted.

The programme will help to increase business preparedness, especially for SMEs, by improving visibility about the procurement needs of large corporations and making it easier to know what purchasing plans they have in the future.

On behalf of e& UAE, Ali Abdulrahman, Manager of Vendor Relations, announced that the company is widening its procurement efforts to span 38 countries with over one billion customers, placing emphasis on digital transformation and artificial intelligence in its procurement approach.

In his remarks, he noted that e& has prioritised technology procurement in telecommunications networks, IT infrastructure and cybersecurity, as well as expanded procurement in business services, marketing and professional services.

According to Abdulrahman, the support of SMEs remains a key strategy in the partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Khalifa Fund, and Kezad Group. He said that in 2025, e& invested about 450 million dirhams in the operations of SMEs and continues to improve the involvement of suppliers through programmes like Make It in the Emirates.

Vice President – ICV Industrial Development & Execution Division at Adnoc, Salem Bafaraj, mentioned that the Adnoc In-Country Value Programme is one of the most important programmes for the industrial development of the country.

According to him, the programme, which was launched back in 2018, has created a value of over Dh357 billion for the economy of the UAE, which includes Dh65 billion in 2025 alone, while generating 23,000 jobs. The company has awarded more than Dh80 billion in contracts to manufacturers in the UAE through its Make it in the Emirates programme.

Moreover, Bafaraj gave an account of Adnoc’s recently launched Industrial Resilience Programme, which intends to boost the country’s supply chain through increased ICV incentives, the Local Plus programme, where local production is favoured, demand forecasting for producers, and procurement incentives.

“Adnoc has also already brought in 17 companies as part of the Local Plus programme,” he said, adding that they will also expand this programme to include more product categories and encourage companies to register via their procurement portal.

According to the Chamber, the event offered a chance for interaction between the organisations taking part in the event and the business community, where the companies could share information, establish alliances and explore opportunities in various economic sectors of Abu Dhabi.

The programme is one of several initiatives taken by Abu Dhabi Chamber to add value to its members through the provision of knowledge, business networking and business opportunities, in line with the vision of Abu Dhabi to develop a competitive and sustainable economy based on a vibrant private sector.