Dubai — ABB, global technology leader in electrification and automation, has opened a US$2m training and customer experience facility in the UAE to develop digital and engineering skills for industrial, power and utility applications across the Middle East.
This facility will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge digital solutions for energy systems in data centers, utilities and smart industrial, residential and commercial buildings. The new center will help keep the UAE at the forefront of the energy transition in the region.
Morten Wierod, Chief Executive Officer, ABB, was joined by Eric Deschênes, Global Head of Marketing and Sales, Electrification Service Division, ABB, and Giampiero Frisio, President, Electrification Business Area, ABB, for the inauguration of new 2,500 square-meter Customer Experience Center in the Al Quoz Industrial Area in Dubai.
Wierod said, “The UAE represents not only strong growth today, but an exceptionally prosperous future. Although I have visited the country many times, it continues to be one of the most dynamic and engaging regions globally. With sustained investment, rapid development and continuous expansion across industries, the UAE remains strategically important for ABB.”
The facility includes a state-of-the-art workshop, lecture theater and collaborative training spaces. The centre will support training and skills development of around 2,000 engineers and technicians a year from Middle East. The global brand’s focus will be on the latest medium-and low-voltage technologies, digital asset management, and AI, and predictive maintenance solutions.
The center will also enable energy resilience by sharing knowledge and developing skills to support upgrades and retrofits of older technologies in customer facilities. Upgrading to the latest digital asset management technologies can improve efficiency, reduce emissions and enhance reliability. This will all help ABB’s customers, distributors and installation partners stay ahead of rapid technological change and ensure that local talent can operate and maintain increasingly digitalised electrical systems.
Wierod further added, “We have been present in Dubai since 1976 and even longer across the Gulf region, and the Middle East has always been an integral part of our global story. Today, ABB is benefiting from a worldwide surge in electrification and automation. While data centres are a significant growth engine, they represent only around seven per cent of our global business. The broader shift—electrification across power generation, renewables, industry, buildings, and transport—is what truly drives our long-term outlook.
“Everything is becoming electric across America, Europe, Asia, and here in the Middle East. The global and regional megatrends align perfectly with ABB’s strengths. With long-term growth projections of five to seven per cent and rising profitability targets, we remain highly optimistic about ABB’s future—especially in the Middle East.”
The UAE’s electricity demand is set to grow by up to 4% annually through 2035 (source IEA) driven by urbanisation, industrial growth and electrification of transport and cooling. Meeting this demand will require advanced technologies that strengthen energy resilience, optimise capital investment, and accelerate sustainability. As industries scale up to meet this rising demand, strategic asset management powered by AI-enabled technology will be critical to ensure reliability, reduced costs, and the achievement of net-zero goals.
ABB has maintained a significant presence in the UAE since 1976 and employs more than 600 colleagues in four commercial offices, factories, and innovation centers. Across the six GCC countries (KSA, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain), ABB employs more than 1,200 colleagues.
