Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) has aimed to create job growth of eight to nine per cent in the emirates industrial sector by 2020, said a report.

The bureau also seeks to increase skilled staff by the same rate, in addition to increasing the number of companies operating in the sector by four per cent, said the Gulf News report.

It will focus of five key areas - the general policy embodying the strengthening of legal and regulatory frameworks; the adoption of a long-term vision; governance and activating the IBD’s role in separating legislative, regulatory, developmental, operational, and investment functions, in addition to enhancing transparency and speeding up decision-taking relating to the sector.

The areas of industrial focus will include building materials, petrochemicals, metals engineering, iron and steel, plastic, aluminium and food industries, renewable energy, oil and gas, the semiconductor industry, packaging, aviation and the transportation equipment, said the report.

Some difficulties currently faced by industrial investors in Abu Dhabi, that IDB aims to overcome include the difficulty of moving between several government agencies to find out requirements, the submission of a number of different application forms, the completion of frequent procedures, poor communication and co-operation between many entities and a lengthy period of time required to start manufacturing operations, it added.