As a part of its 2d 12 months as a Wisdom Spouse of the Global Governments Summit, ICC convened a high-level roundtable in Dubai bringing in combination ministers, trade leaders and world mavens from around the MENA area. The dialogue centered on sensible pathways for revitalising the multilateral buying and selling device.
The roundtable continues ICC’s efforts to discover how governments and the non-public sector can paintings in combination to transport past summary reform debates and ship answers that repair self belief in international industry.
Held in opposition to a backdrop of emerging industry fragmentation and rising uncertainty for companies, the roundtable adopted a identical dialogue for the ASEAN area in Singapore in October 2025.
ICC Secretary Common John W.H. Denton AO mentioned:
“Revitalising the multilateral system is not the responsibility of governments alone. It requires a shared commitment across business, civil society and international institutions. The MENA region is uniquely positioned to lead – bridging continents, markets and political blocs.”
MENA’s strategic place for industry cooperation
Discussions centred on figuring out precedence spaces the place MENA economies may just rally in the back of shared goals and pilot projects defined within the ICC Name for Motion at the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Convention (MC14) and the ICC Compact for Industry, Enlargement and Jobs. Focal point spaces integrated industry digitalisation and interoperability, get entry to to industry finance, regulatory coherence, provide chain connectivity and the usage of shared requirements to scale back fragmentation.
The roundtable highlighted the area’s strategic place on the crossroads of worldwide industry, funding and provide chains. Members famous that MENA’s rising position in logistics, virtual infrastructure and capital mobilisation puts it in a novel place to assist form the following segment of worldwide industry cooperation.
The ICC and Dubai Chambers high-level roundtable on the Global Governments Summit in Dubai
The dialogue used to be chaired through H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for International Industry, along H.E. Dr Amer Bisat, Lebanese Minister of Financial system and Industry. They have been joined through UAE leader executives from Dubai Chambers’ club, ICC management and contributors of ICC’s Advisory Committee on Multilateral Industry Revitalisation.
H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi mentioned:
“The multilateral trading system has been a central component of the global economy, driving growth, development and prosperity by enabling the equitable exchange of goods and service between nations. In recent years, however, it has faced a series of challenges, from geopolitical crises to the reemergence of protectionism and isolationism. For the nations such as the United Arab Emirates, which believes in and benefits from open, rules-based trade, it is imperative that we are able to work collaboratively with global partners to address these challenges, offer proactive solutions and deliver a trading system that works for all those who seek it. Through the TradeTech Initiative and the launch the Future Investment and Trade Partnership, the UAE is taking a leading role in these efforts, which is not only helping to elevate our voice on global trade issues but consolidating our status as a champion of supply-chain innovation and resilience.”
Construction resilient industry
Throughout the Summit, Mr Denton participated in a high-level panel titled “The Tipping Point in Global Trade”, along Mathias Cormann, Secretary-Common of the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Building, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-Common of the United International locations Convention on Industry and Building, and H.E. Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, Minister of International Affairs of Panama. The panel explored the hazards going through the worldwide buying and selling device and the desire for renewed cooperation. ICC additionally contributed to an OECD- Eu Union ministerial roundtable on “Shock-Proofing Trade: Secure Connectivity for Economic Resilience”, considering interoperable virtual infrastructure, resilient connectivity and the mobilisation of capital to verify industry networks stay useful all over geopolitical tensions, local weather shocks and provide disruptions.
Taking a look forward to the 14th WTO Ministerial Convention
Insights from the Dubai roundtable will tell ICC’s persevered engagement with governments within the lead-up to MC14, in addition to its paintings to enhance implementation of the ICC Compact for Industry, Enlargement and Jobs.
ICC will proceed operating with MENA governments and trade leaders to show shared priorities into sensible motion and to enhance the multilateral buying and selling device in follow, no longer simply in theory.
H.E. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, mentioned: “Trade thrives when the public and private sectors work together as true partners. Cross-border trade depends on trust, clear rules, efficient systems, and constant coordination between governments and business communities. The dialogue helped identify the MENA region’s priorities, and the practical steps that can be piloted to accelerate modern trade. Dubai stands ready to support constructive, solutions-oriented collaboration that strengthens the global trade ecosystem and expands opportunities.”
