Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, has outlined the UAE’s strategy to address disruptions to global trade routes during the GLOBSEC Forum 2026 in Prague, reaffirming the country’s position as a stable and resilient global trade hub.
Speaking at the panel discussion at GLOBSEC 2026, titled ‘The Ripple Effect: How the Iran War is Shaping Global Economies and Politics’, Al Zeyoudi detailed a series of immediate and long-term measures implemented by the UAE since the onset of the conflict.
The measures include the activation of alternative trade corridors through the UAE’s eastern ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan, the launch of air freight bridges for time-sensitive pharmaceutical and food shipments, the establishment of a Green Corridor with Oman, and the introduction of a new Sharjah-Dammam trade bridge.
Al Zeyoudi said at GLOBSEC 2026 forum that the UAE had also introduced an $272.3 million (AED 1 billion) economic support fund to ensure business continuity and provide targeted relief for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In addition, the UAE Central Bank (CBUAE) has launched a Five-Pillar Financial Institution Resilience Package aimed at maintaining credit flows across the economy.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi UAE Minister of Foreign Trade
“The fundamental redesign of Gulf logistics that we were undertaking over a decade is now being compressed into years. What this moment has done is accelerate the timelines of existing plans, and underscore the wisdom of building an open, diversified, and resilient trade architecture before it is needed. Nothing that we have achieved in the last five years has been undone or unwound. The UAE is a bridge to high-growth markets across the Gulf, Africa and Asia, and a partner for trade, logistics, investment and technology. That role has not diminished. It has become more important.”
Highlighting the UAE’s long-term trade strategy, Al Zeyoudi said at the GLOBSEC forum that the country’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) program remains central to sustaining growth in foreign trade.
The minister stated that the CEPA program has resulted in 36 agreements with partners across six continents and contributed to non-oil foreign trade reaching $1.03 trillion in 2025.
