Page 582 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - APRIL 2025 (Part 1)

4/21/25, 3:55 PM WCS 2025: UAE promotes region's role as a global hub - Air Cargo Week
Pointing to the synergy between the UAE’s strategy and the focus points for the aviation industry,
Al Marri highlighted the importance of connectivity, sustainability and partnership in the success of
the sector.

“Let us use this forum to forge new partnerships, scale impactful solutions and turn our vision into
globalisation, connectivity and free trade over fragmentation, polarisation and protectionism,” Al
Marri declared.

Connecting through challenges

Recognising the nation’s role empowering connectivity, enabling resilience in supply chains and
facilitating international cooperations, Al Marri highlighted how Dubai recorded a milestone
moment in 2024 with over one million air traffic movements and the nation’s airport’s serving more
than 40 million passengers.

“We’re seeing the sector expand rapidly, driven by surging e-commerce, increasing demand for
just in time logistics and new marketing perishable and pharmaceuticals,” Al Marri stated. “On the
other hand, we face confidence of global challenges, geopolitical volatility, tightening, revelations
and historic imperative to decarbonise last and most recently, the global tariff conflict.”

Net Zero mission

Al Marri was clear in his opening that sustainability is also a key focus point for the industry, as it
continues to aim to meet net zero by 2050 cargo: “The UAE recognises their responsibility and is
acting decisively. As a recent host of the COP 28 summit, the UAE is advancing one of the most
ambitious climate agendas in the global aviation dialogue.”

Looking to put sustainable aviation fuel front and centre, as the industry moves forward, the UAE
has launched a SAF roadmap, which has set a target of producing 700 million litres of SAF
annually by 2030.

“This could eliminate up to 4.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, while establishing the UAE as a
region hub of sustainable aviation fuels,” Al Marri declared.

Innovation leads the industry

Recognised as an equally key part of the industry’s development is the introduction of
digitalisation on a wider scale, from electronic airway bills and integrated logistics platforms to
predictive analytics and AI enabled customs compliance.

“Technology is reshaping air cargo and it must embrace efficiency,” Al Marri said. “Visibility and
traceability are no longer nice to have future. They are market expectations. Digital tools are
critical, not just for competitiveness, but for regulatory compliance, especially in customs security
and safety.”

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