Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Membership in the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) has grown to 157,207 companies, a 4.9% increase between September 2024 and June 2025.
At a press briefing, the Abu Dhabi Chamber outlined key achievements over the last nine months, highlighting the Chamber’s commitment to supporting businesses in Abu Dhabi. Since September 2024, ADCCI has organised 69 business events, welcomed 70 trade and diplomatic delegations, witnessed the signing of 25 partnership agreements, joined 11 outbound delegations, and inaugurated its first overseas office in Poland.
The Abu Dhabi Chamber's recent growth mirrors the emirate's economic expansion, as its GDP rose to Dh291 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up 3.4% year-on-year, driven by a 6.1% rise in non-oil sectors.
The Chamber has continued to build momentum by improving services, achieving a customer satisfaction rate of 90.23% on TAMM, and responding to more than 18,900 queries. It formed 15 business working groups, issued 364 economic reports, and organised 10 workshops for over 1,000 participants to tackle industry challenges.
Supporting SMEs, enabling regulations, and accelerating sustainable and inclusive growth, in line with Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy, are at the heart of the Chamber’s 2025-2028 roadmaps.
Speaking at the press conference, Shamis Ali Al Dhaheri, Second Vice Chairman and Managing Director of ADCCI, stated that the Chamber plays a dynamic role in Abu Dhabi's economic prosperity.
“Abu Dhabi’s economic strength is reflected in the number of new members, and we believe strong partnerships between the public and private sectors will continue to produce success,” he said.
“The rise in memberships highlights the Chamber’s strategic role as a key partner in economic development and a driver of competitiveness and sustainable growth. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the business community, sharing its ambitions and providing the tools and resources to compete on the global stage.”
Communication and engagement were highlighted as essential to promoting Abu Dhabi’s business environment, with Al Dhaheri stressing the role of national media in “spotlighting private sector achievements and amplifying success stories that capture the scale of Abu Dhabi’s transformation.”
On the private sector’s growing role, he noted: “The private sector now plays a bigger role in Abu Dhabi’s economy than ever before, driving growth across non-oil sectors and significantly contributing to the emirate’s GDP.”
According to the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, the non-oil sector contributed 56.2% of total GDP in Q1 2025.
“The more private sector economy we have, the more success we will have in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
On small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Al Dhaheri pointed to several initiatives: “ADCCI is focusing on SME upskilling—especially in AI and green economy—facilitating connections with larger companies, and providing access to procurement through bulk buying. An e-platform is also being developed to enhance SME engagement.”
As for internal reforms, he said the Chamber launched 23 strategic initiatives informed by direct feedback from the private sector. “These include streamlined procedures and improved responsiveness. Some processes that used to take 12 months now take only five.”
On ADCCI’s international expansion, he shared that the Chamber has already opened its first overseas office in Poland, chosen for its strong business ties with Abu Dhabi. “We will launch more offices in priority countries,” he added.
On ADCCI’s engagement with Chinese businesses, Al Dhaheri reaffirmed the Chamber’s strategic commitment. “ADCCI considers China a strategic partner and actively supports Chinese firms entering Abu Dhabi through visits, delegations, and industrial cooperation, especially in logistics and advanced manufacturing.”
In response to Aletihad’s questions about how ADCCI is advancing AI, the green economy, and women’s leadership in business, Al Dhaheri said: “We are working to build awareness of artificial intelligence among private sector players. That starts with more engagement and identifying successful use cases that companies can realistically adopt. It is about helping them become AI-ready.”
Turning to sustainability, Al Dhaheri noted that many companies engage in green practices. “Our role is to build that awareness and guide them in measuring and understanding their sustainability footprint. We want companies to align with the ESG mandate and grow in a way that is sustainable and meaningful.”
On the topic of women in business, he stressed the need to better reflect their contributions. “There has been strong participation of women in the private sector, and we are working to build awareness and helping businesses recognise and document the impact of women leaders.” He pointed to the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council as a major catalyst: “I believe there was around a 25% growth in commercial licences issued to women in 2024. That is a strong indicator of their rising presence and influence.”
On plans for family businesses, Al Dhaheri spoke of a dedicated strategy under the Family Business Council. “The strategy focuses on upskilling second and third generations, improving succession planning, and connecting family businesses to investment opportunities,” he said.
He concluded: “As part of our future plans, we aim to launch eight additional working groups. We base this on private sector demand—once we identify a need, we establish a new group to address relevant policies and legislative frameworks.”
