Page 840 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - DECEMBER 2024

12/27/24, 4:18 PM Ahmed bin Saeed attends the opening of WORLDEF Dubai 2024 forum
Minister of State for Foreign Trade; His Excellency Murodali Alimardon, Deputy Prime Minister
of Tajikistan; His Excellency Abdullah Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of
Dubai; His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ and Chairman
of the Board of Dubai CommerCity; His Excellency Tugay Tunçer, Ambassador of Turkey to the
UAE; His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers;
His Excellency Hesham Al Qassim, CEO of Wasl Asset Management Group; Omar Nart, CEO
of WORLDEF, along with representatives from leading international digital commerce
companies.

Also in attendance were His Excellency Sherali Kabir, Minister of Industry and New
Technologies of Tajikistan; His Excellency Kurbon Hakimzoda, Minister of Agriculture of
Tajikistan; His Excellency Halimzoda Abdulrahman, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Office of
the Administration of the President of Tajikistan; and His Excellency Syed Muhammad Raziff
Aljunied, Consul-General of Singapore in Dubai, as well as ambassadors from Mexico, the
Dominican Republic, Panama, Argentina, Tajikistan, and Colombia.

In his opening address at the forum, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE
Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said: “E-commerce has emerged as a cornerstone of the
global economy, transforming industries and redefining consumer experiences over the past 25
years. This year, global e-commerce sales are expected to surpass $6.4 trillion, with mobile
commerce accounting for nearly $2 trillion of that total. In 2024, online purchases will represent
20% of all retail sales—a testament to how deeply digital trade has become embedded in our
lives, fuelled by widespread internet access and mobile connectivity.”

“The UAE has long recognised the transformative potential of e-commerce. This is why we
continue to invest in infrastructure to advance digital commerce across the Middle East and
beyond, including the development of Dubai CommerCity—the region's first and leading free
zone exclusively dedicated to digital commerce,” Dr. Al Zeyoudi added.

His Excellency Murodali Alimardon, Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, delivered a keynote
speech on the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan 2030. He
emphasised the strategy's goal of enhancing the standard of living for citizens through
economic development. He also highlighted the country's key economic enablers, such as
infrastructure and natural resources, while addressing global advancements in digital trade and
Tajikistan’s readiness to forge strategic partnerships in this sector.

Strategic Role
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ and Chairman of the
Board of Dubai CommerCity, said that hosting the WORLDEF Dubai 2024 Forum, one of the
leading events in digital commerce, reflects Dubai CommerCity's commitment to advancing the
sector's strategic role in driving non-oil economic growth, in alignment with the Dubai Economic
Agenda D33.

Dr. Al Zarooni highlighted the remarkable interest from stakeholders across the digital
commerce landscape, as evidenced by the forum's strong participation and its distinguished
lineup of speakers representing leading global companies. He noted that this high level of
engagement underscores Dubai’s status as a global trade hub, its critical role in supporting the
sector's anticipated growth, and its strategic importance in the interconnected fields of global

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