Abu Dhabi, UAE, 4 March: The TradeTech Forum, hosted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) will return for its second edition at AIM Congress, set to be held on April 8, 2025, alongside the ongoing AIM Congress.
With over 400 of the world’s foremost trade leaders and experts attending the forum this year’s TradeTech Forum aims to extend and expand the conversation on leveraging technology to transform global trade and investment.
With a mission to explore how emerging technologies are impacting and shifting the norms of international trade, the impact on sustainability and fostering inclusivity, this year’s theme “TradeTech Transition: Evaluating the Present, Envisioning the Future”, will bring together innovators, policymakers and key global leaders into one forum.
The TradeTech Forum this year continues with an updated and far more comprehensive agenda, with plenary sessions involving key experts of the industry, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities aimed to offer actionable insights to all attendees.
H.E. Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE, will officially open the forum. Speaking on the impact of the forum to the UAE and the world, Dr. Al Zeyoudi said: “Technology can revolutionize global supply chains at every stage, creating opportunities to expand international trade.
It enables less developed countries and small and medium-sized enterprises to participate more effectively and fairly in the global trading system, while enhancing security and transparency. The TradeTech Forum is a key platform to advancing these benefits, convening global trade leaders to explore leveraging technology to make supply chains smarter, more sustainable, and inclusive.”
H.E. Al Zeyoudi added: “As a nation at the forefront of technological innovation and global trade facilitation, this platform exemplifies our commitment to fostering collaboration and harnessing digital technologies to drive sustainable, inclusive growth in global trade. We look forward to welcoming participants from around the world to chart the next chapter of TradeTech advancement together.”
His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), said: “As a key node on international supply chains and a global magnet for talents, businesses, investments, Abu Dhabi continues to develop trade facilitation solutions, and employ advanced technologies and methods such as AI and Blochian to enable free and fair trade and exchange of goods, services, and innovations.
The TradeTech forum in Abu Dhabi provides a suitable platform to discuss ideas, challenges, and explore opportunities, devising innovative solutions that will shape the future of global trade”.
The agenda for the forum packs many multi-disciplinary sessions, with the day starting off with the TradeTech Face-Off, an engaging breakfast debate featuring two contrasting visions on the future of TradeTech, where attendees will have to take a stance to what they believe the future of TradeTech holds.
This dialogue will expand on to topics such as smart customs and how AI will revolutionize trade, a topic explored in depth in the latest TradeTech report “Artificial Intelligence for Efficiency, Sustainability and Inclusivity in TradeTech” just launched at the Annual Meeting at Davos.
Plenary panels will continue throughout the day, discussing key topics such as the outcomes of the 2025 TradeTech Report, the regulatory sandbox outcomes in trade finance, and the imperatives for investment in trade innovation.
A series of interactive workshops have been designed to create engaging deep-dives into AI-driven transformations in supply chains, trade finance, and logistics. In addition, the attendees can expect exclusive networking opportunities, with dedicated spaces for bilateral meetings, investor collaborations, and knowledge exchange.
Hosted alongside AIM Congress 2025 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the TradeTech Forum is poised to set the global agenda for innovation in trade and investment, fostering cross-border collaboration and long-term economic resilience. “As a global collective, we must urgently transition into action mode, prioritizing immediate steps that drive substantial impact.
Embracing the latest technological advancements and fostering thought leadership in TradeTech, alongside exploring regulatory adaptations, and supporting innovative startups, is essential to create a more efficient, sustainable, and equitable trade landscape.
This is what we do at the TradeTech Global Initiative and why we convene this high-level forum.”, shared Tim Stekkinger, Head, TradeTech Initiative, World Economic Forum.
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