In-Country Value (ICV) and VR Safety Training in the UAE

What the Rule Requires

In-Country Value (ICV): In-Country Value (ICV) in the UAE is run by the UAE National ICV Programme, coordinated with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. This page describes it only in general terms. Emirati buyers must confirm current rules with the owner, and employer safety duties still come from the UAE labour relations law of 2021.

Tenders across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the northern emirates increasingly ask how a supplier supports local value. When the purchase is VR safety training, Emirati buyers need a simple way to ask about In-Country Value (ICV) without mixing it into the safety content.

What is In-Country Value (ICV) in the UAE?

In general terms, In-Country Value (ICV) in the UAE looks at how much of a supplier spend, workforce and investment stays inside the UAE economy. It is managed by the UAE National ICV Programme, coordinated with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the detailed rules are published and updated by that owner.

Emirati buyers meet In-Country Value (ICV) when they tender services, and training services are no exception. How In-Country Value (ICV) applies to a VR safety training purchase in the UAE depends on the buyer, the contract and the current rules.

This page does not explain the scoring method of In-Country Value (ICV), because the UAE rules change and only the owner can confirm them. Anyone using In-Country Value (ICV) in a Emirati decision should read the current guidance first.

How In-Country Value (ICV) can shape a VR training purchase in the UAE

A UAE buyer can ask suppliers to state how they would support local spend and Emirati training under the current ICV rules. That keeps the In-Country Value (ICV) question inside the normal tender for VR safety training in the UAE instead of leaving it for later.

Training itself can support local workforce goals in the UAE, for example when VR scenarios help Emirati nationals practise high-risk tasks before they join a crew. Any such link to In-Country Value (ICV) must be described honestly and checked with the owner.

In-Country Value (ICV) conditions should never push a UAE buyer to cut practical training. VR in the UAE supports and does not replace hands-on training, permits or certification.

What The Prime VR does and does not claim about In-Country Value (ICV)

The Prime VR builds custom VR safety scenarios and does not claim any In-Country Value (ICV) certificate, score or registration in the UAE. A Emirati buyer who needs that evidence should request it and verify it with the programme owner.

What The Prime VR can provide to a UAE buyer is a clear scope, a scenario mockup within 48 hours of a scoping call and a written list of what the VR module covers and does not cover.

If In-Country Value (ICV) becomes a deciding factor for a Emirati tender, the buyer can share the relevant requirement with The Prime VR and receive a factual answer about what is and is not in place in the UAE.

Practical steps for UAE buyers using In-Country Value (ICV)

First, confirm with the UAE National ICV Programme, coordinated with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology which version of the In-Country Value (ICV) rules applies to the UAE tender. Second, write the requirement into the VR training RFP so every supplier answers the same question.

Third, ask Emirati suppliers for evidence rather than statements, and check that evidence directly with the In-Country Value (ICV) owner. Fourth, keep the safety content of the VR scenario separate from the UAE local value scoring.

Finally, review how the UAE VR pilot went before scaling, and keep the UAE contractor HSE manager and the client representative informed. Employer duties under the UAE labour relations law of 2021 stay with the Emirati employer whatever In-Country Value (ICV) outcome a supplier has.

Hazards in This Scenario

• Unverified In-Country Value (ICV) claims
• In-Country Value (ICV) rules that changed since the last UAE tender
• Local value scoring mixed with safety content in the UAE
• For In-Country Value (ICV) and VR safety training, Summer heat that shortens outdoor practice time in the UAE

The Procedure the Scenario Rehearses

1. Confirm the current In-Country Value (ICV) rules
2. Write the requirement into the UAE RFP
3. Ask every supplier the same question
4. Request evidence, not statements
5. Verify evidence with the owner
6. Confirm UAE client and free zone requirements before rollout, in the case of In-Country Value (ICV) and VR safety training in the UAE.

Mistakes the Scenario Is Built to Catch

• Assuming last year In-Country Value (ICV) rules still apply
• Accepting a In-Country Value (ICV) claim without checking
• Cutting practical training to meet a UAE local value goal
• Looking at In-Country Value (ICV) and VR safety training in the UAE, Treating Abu Dhabi and Dubai rules as identical

Competence Assessment Matrix

Scope of a One-Scenario Pilot

A pilot builds this scenario as a single module, in Unity or Unreal Engine depending on the visual fidelity the task needs and the headsets on site. It runs on standalone headsets, logs every learner decision, and exports a per-person record for your training file. It is measured against your current method with a test cohort before anything is scaled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Further reading

• Heat Stress VR Training for UAE Construction Sites: Midday Break, Hydration and Early Signs
• Work at Height VR Training for Dubai High-Rise Construction (Decree No. 19 of 2025)
• Scaffold Inspection VR Training for UAE Contractors: Tags, Ties and Daily Checks
• Tower Crane Lifting VR Training for Dubai Sites: Rigging, Wind Limits and Exclusion Zones
• Hot work permit guide
• Oil gas safety training vr
• All VR training scenarios: United Arab Emirates
• VR pilot readiness checklist
• How VR training programs are priced