UAE Launches ‘Trade-Sustain-AI’ Initiative to Enhance Global Trade Sustainability Using Artificial Intelligence

The UAE has introduced a new initiative called ‘Trade-Sustain-AI’ during the TradeTech Forum held alongside the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Abu Dhabi. This initiative aims to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chains to enhance the role of global trade in combating climate change.

The ‘Trade-Sustain-AI’ initiative focuses on several key areas, including optimizing shipping routes to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, enhancing logistics operations like inventory management and freight movements, developing climate-resilient trade infrastructure, and improving traceability and transparency in global supply chains to ensure sustainability of traded goods.

This initiative will collaborate with international organizations, governments, and industry leaders to produce comprehensive reports on the convergence of AI, global trade, and sustainability, organize annual symposiums for experts to exchange ideas, establish a global research network, and create an international alliance between ministers and CEOs to propose regulations for AI use in trade.

The program, based in the UAE, has already partnered with organizations such as ADIA Lab, Core42, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and Maqta Gateway – AD Ports Group’s digital arm, with more partners expected to join.

Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and MC13 Chair, highlighted the UAE’s commitment to developing TradeTech tools and regulatory frameworks to facilitate their global deployment. He emphasized the importance of AI in redefining the future of trade, making it more efficient, transparent, and sustainable.

The UAE has been actively promoting technology in trade, as demonstrated by its TradeTech Global Initiative launched with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January 2023. The TradeTech Forum is part of this initiative, highlighting the UAE’s efforts to drive the adoption of emerging technologies in global supply chains.