In line with the targets of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, the 'Make in the Emirates' initiative, and the UAE government's directions under the Agentic AI project, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, in cooperation with the Sharjah Agricultural and Livestock Production Corporation 'Iktifa', organised the Interactive Council for Service Development for the Food Industries Sector at the Mleiha Wheat Farm in the emirate of Sharjah. The council was held with the participation of a number of factories and companies operating in the sector, as well as partners from government and private sector representatives in the emirate.
The council is part of the ministry's approach to enhancing direct communication with the industrial sector, listening to customers and engaging them in the design of government services, with a focus on plans to deploy Agentic AI in the services provided. This aims to improve the experience of investors, industrial and service companies, and suppliers, raise service efficiency, and support the growth and competitiveness of vital and priority industries.
The council focused on discussing the needs of factories and solutions related to customer experience, and exploring opportunities for developing future services — supporting the transition towards more proactive and efficient services capable of understanding customer needs and facilitating their journey. This forms part of an ongoing series of customer councils held by the ministry across the various emirates of the country to enhance the industrial business environment.
Hassan Jasim Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, affirmed that, in line with the ministry's strategic targets and the 'Make in the Emirates' initiative, the focus is on listening to customers from industrial and service companies, and on going out into the field to meet them across the various emirates of the country, to hear their proposals in order to design more efficient services that are more closely linked to the needs of the industrial sector. He stressed the importance of plans to deploy Agentic AI and of turning direct dialogue with factories into a practical entry point for service development and improving customer experience.
He added that the food industries sector is one of the vital sectors supporting food security and sustainable industrial growth in the country. "Through our partnership with Iktifa and companies in the private sector, we discussed service development opportunities that contribute to reducing time and effort, simplifying procedures, and supporting the ability of factories to grow and expand," he said. "We continue to develop our services by deploying Agentic AI as a tool to raise efficiency and improve the industrial investor's journey."
He also commended the role of the Sharjah Agricultural and Livestock Production Corporation 'Iktifa' in providing a direct dialogue platform with companies and factories in the emirate of Sharjah, and the impact this had in giving the ministry's team the opportunity to understand and listen to customers' needs, and to guide them to the appropriate information and procedures — noting that these councils form part of an ongoing national journey to develop government services in partnership with industrial sector companies.
Dr. Engineer Khalifa Musabbah Al Tunaiji, Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Agricultural and Livestock Production Corporation Iktifa, said: "Iktifa works to support the efforts of the emirate of Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates in promoting sustainable food security and achieving self-sufficiency in organic food products, through the development of qualitative projects in the fields of agricultural and livestock production, and the adoption of sustainable practices that contribute to raising local production efficiency. Hosting the Interactive Council for Food Industries Service Development embodies a practical model of integration between government entities and the industrial sector, enhancing the exchange of expertise and the development of services supporting the sector."
He added: "We value our strategic partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in enabling direct dialogue with food manufacturers, investors, and partners, contributing to understanding the sector's needs and translating them into development opportunities that support the growth of food industries in the country. This meeting also affirms the importance of aligning service development with enhancing the growth of food industries and empowering the national product globally, which strengthens the competitiveness of the food industries sector in the United Arab Emirates."
He highlighted the pivotal role played by Sharjah's food security system in deploying modern technologies and artificial intelligence to raise the quality of food industries, develop food security projects, and enhance production efficiency and sustainability, thereby contributing to the preservation of natural resources. He noted that cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology represents a strategic step towards developing the food industries system, enhancing supply chain resilience, and supporting innovation and advanced manufacturing — cementing the UAE's and Sharjah's standing as a leading model in achieving sustainable food security.