Emirates SkyCargo hosts discussion on the future of air freight

The event is hosted by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) in the UAE capital, and The has brought together senior leaders across industries to provide a macro-view of the challenges, opportunities, and untapped potential of global logistics.

Under the title, Security, Sustainability and Digitalisation: A New Era for Trade and Cargo, the event was programmed by Economist Impact. It delved into the patterns of modern trade that see trillions of dollars’ worth of goods move across the world every day. With global supply chains poised for change, the event has also explored the impact of geopolitical disruption, the growing demand for sustainable solutions, the intersection for technology and security, and the critical requirements for robust, resilient supply chains, underpinned by air freight.

Commenting on the central themes of the event, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade and MC13 Chair, said it has become paramount to embrace new technologies to improve supply-chain efficiency and sustainability. “By leveraging the new generation of trade tech tools, we have the opportunity to not only strengthen global supply chains but make them more efficient and, as a result, more able to contribute to our efforts to combat climate change. As we outline in our new Trade-Sustain-AI initiative, technologies such as artificial intelligence can enhance freight movements, predict adverse or extreme weather events, and support inventory management, all of which support our efforts to develop a smarter, more transparent trading system. Today’s important discussion underlined the potential impact of advanced technologies on global trade – and the urgency with which we need to now integrate them.”

Setting the foundation on the nexus points between trade, investment, and geopolitics, Simon Evenett, a world renowned expert on trade and Professor at Switzerland’s University of St Gallen was the keynote speaker, followed by a fireside conversation moderated by Elizabeth Mackey, Senior Manager, New Globalisation, Economist Impact.

Following this, a panel of industry leaders from some of the world’s biggest and most reputable organisations discussed the outlook of global trade. Panellists included Marion Jansen, Director of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Pierre Sauve, Senior Trade Specialist from the World Bank; Lisa Schroeter, Global Director of Trade and Investment Policy, Dow Chemical; and Nabil Sultan, Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President for the past decade.