His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, toured the headquarters of Industrial Innovation Group (IIG) in Sharjah, a global leader in the security printing industry with a focus on electronic ID documents. During the visit, he explored IIG’s best practices in leveraging industrial innovation and applied technology to implement circular economy principles.
His Excellency Sultan Alwan, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), and His Excellency Eng Saif Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector at MOCCAE, accompanied the Minister on the tour.
His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi met with His Excellency Saeed Matar Al-Qemzi, UAE Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and His Excellency Bakhtiyor Ibragimov, Uzbekistan Ambassador to the UAE.
Moreover, he discussed the use of modern technologies to expedite the shift to circular economy and drive the UAE’s green recovery with Taryam Matar Mohamed Taryam, CEO of IIG. He learned about the Group’s latest industrial innovations in the manufacturing of plant-based secondary raw materials, such as cellulose, hemp fiber, hemp oil, flooring, and feed.
The Minister praised IIG’s significant contribution to enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness and consolidating its position as a global technology hub.
The UAE Cabinet approved the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 that targets the adoption of the circular economy concept in four priority areas – green infrastructure, sustainable transportation, sustainable manufacturing, and sustainable food production and consumption. MOCCAE developed the policy in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. Its objectives include building a sustainable economy, promoting efficient use of natural resources, encouraging the private sector to shift to cleaner industrial production methods that involve the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, and adopting sustainable consumption and production patterns that reduce environmental stress while meeting the basic needs of the population.