The UAE leadership on 21 November announced the adoption of the Emirates Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Policy, along with forward-looking investments totalling over $82bn for the development of the sector.

The policy aims to stimulate the development of a viable knowledge-based economy and align the government’s broad objective to increase the non-oil sectors’ contribution to the country’s general domestic product (GDP).

The UAE’s Economy Ministry has recently indicated that the government is aiming to bring the non-oil output contribution to the total GDP to 80 per cent by 2030.

The planned investment “puts the UAE on course for a post-oil world… through investing in the development of our people in fields of science and technology,” the state-controlled Emirates News Agency (Wam) quoted UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan as saying.

Areas of investment would include policy development and legislation, investment, technology, education and finance. Some 100 initiatives across these segments are planned.

Nearly half, or 42 per cent, of the planned investment will be allocated to clean energy, 24 per cent to renewable energy, 13 per cent to aviation research, development and manufacturing. The remaining investments will be spread across research and development and innovation incubators.