UAE Plans AI-Powered System to Flag Trade Barriers for Exporters

DUBAI: The UAE is developing a technology-enabled system that would flag when a product is likely to face barriers in a given market, according to Foreign Trade Undersecretary Fahad Al-Gergawi. Speaking to Arab News, he said the tool would suggest alternative markets and companies that could step in within minutes. He did not give a launch date or explain how businesses would get access to it.

A Push Tied to National Plans

The system is part of the UAE’s wider move into advanced technology, which Al-Gergawi described as central to the country’s development plans. The aim is to help exporters respond faster when a market closes or becomes harder to reach, particularly as global tariffs rise. “Waiting is not an option here,” he said.

For exporters, speed matters. A sudden tariff change or new restriction can leave a shipment stranded or a contract at risk. A system that spots the problem early and points to other buyers could save time and money.

Built for a Tariff Era

Al-Gergawi, who was appointed undersecretary by federal decree in November 2025, said the country’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements were shaped partly by signs that trade wars were coming. He described the choice the UAE faced five years ago: “Do we need to wait?” Its answer was to negotiate directly with individual countries instead of relying on wider global talks.

India was the first to sign. Al-Gergawi said trade between the two countries has risen about 37 percent since the agreement and now exceeds $106 billion.

Trade Figures Show Strong Growth

Official figures show UAE non-oil foreign trade reached about 3.8 trillion dirhams ($1.03 trillion) in 2025, up 27 percent from the previous year. That leaves the country around 5 percent short of its 4 trillion dirham target for 2031, six years ahead of schedule.

Al-Gergawi said the agreements are one factor among several. “It’s an important factor to us, but it’s not the only solution,” he said, also pointing to the UAE’s ports and air cargo network.

Smaller Firms Gain the Most

He said small and medium-sized businesses benefit most. Under the agreements, 93 to 95 percent of goods move between partner countries without customs duties. For a small exporter, he said, that can mean savings of 15 to 20 percent.

The ministry also hopes the deals will attract foreign manufacturers that want to produce in the UAE and export to partner markets. That would add to local industry and strengthen the country’s position as a manufacturing and trade base.

Choosing the Right Partners

The strategy depends on finding willing partners at a time when several large economies are moving toward protectionism. Al-Gergawi said the UAE focuses on “like-minded” countries that favor open markets.

He argued that geopolitical shifts would not weaken the UAE’s role as a trade hub. In his view, the country will keep adding markets and building tools to reach them.

Why It Matters

The UAE has built much of its economic model on trade, aviation, logistics and finance. Rising tariffs and shifting alliances put that model under pressure, so tools that help businesses adapt quickly carry real value. Direct agreements give firms more predictable access, while an early-warning system could help them react when conditions change.

The approach also fits a wider pattern among Gulf states, which are seeking to spread risk across many partners rather than depend on a few. Bilateral deals can move faster than global negotiations and can be tailored to the needs of each partner.

What to Watch

Several questions remain open. When will the system launch, and will it be open to all businesses or only certain users? How accurate will its warnings and suggestions prove in practice? And which countries will sign the next partnership agreements as protectionist pressure grows?

For now, the message from Dubai is one of preparation. The UAE is betting that open markets, direct deals and faster information will keep its exporters ahead, even as the global trade environment becomes less predictable.

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