Recent statistics by the ministry of finance and industry indicate that the local industrial sector has been growing during the last few years.
At the "Made in the UAE Exhibition" in Abu Dhabi, officials disclosed that the number of factories increased from 705 in 1990 to 1859 by the end of 1999, Al Ittihad Daily reported. The Emirate of Dubai boasts the greatest number of factories with 678 (36.5 percent of the total number of factories in the country), followed by Sharjah with 581 plants (31.2 percent) and Ajman with 257 (13.8 percent).
The volume of industrial investments has also grown rapidly; at the end of 1999 they totaled DH21.03 billion. Investments in Dubai hit DH11.75 billion (55.88 percent of the total industrial investments in the UAE). Industrial investments in Abu Dhabi equal Dh3.34 billion (15.72 percent), while reaching DH2.31 in Sharjah (nearly 11 percent).
An average of 86 workers is reported for each unit. While this figure varies among the various Emirates; in Ras al-Khaimah the number exceeds 116 workers whereas in Um al Quwawain it hits 58 workers (Dh3.67=$1).
