The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has embarked on a long journey towards deep transformations in its industrial engineering industry, driven by the Operation 300 Billion initiative. This strategic plan aims to bolster the industrial sector’s contribution to the national economy and position it as a key contributor to the UAE’s economy over the next decade. A recent report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) stresses on the intrinsic value of collaboration between the engineering sector and educational institutions to cultivate the next generation of innovators. The UAE Skills Survey reveals both promising growth and significant challenges within the industry. Over the past year, nearly half (48%) of engineering and technology firms in the UAE experienced business growth, with one in five reporting substantial increases in staff numbers. Despite this positive trend, a glaring skills gap persists, with 93% of engineering employers struggling to recruit qualified personnel. The report highlights a critical issue: the difficulty in finding candidates with the necessary technical skills. This problem is particularly acute among large companies (those with over 500 employees), where 58% report challenges in locating adequately skilled applicants. Other issues compounding the recruitment crisis include wage pressures (34%), the shift to increased remote working (23%), and high staff turnover (23%). Despite these challenges, there is a strong sense of optimism among employers within the industrial engineering industry in the UAE. Nearly 90% believe they will be able to access the necessary training to bridge the skills gap within the next five years. To this end, two-thirds (66%) of engineering firms plan to utilize professional training bodies, such as the IET, to enhance their workforce’s competencies. The positive perception of STEM graduates in the UAE further supports this initiative, with over half (54%) of employers considering university education highly effective in preparing entry-level employees for the workplace.