Today's Edition
Batool Ghaith (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi’s combination of industrial infrastructure, ports, customs digitisation, logistics networks and access to international markets is helping companies based in the emirate compete more effectively overseas, business and government leaders said at KEZAD Connect 2026 on Monday.
Speaking during the panel “From Abu Dhabi to the World: Building Businesses Without Borders,” representatives from KEZAD Group, Abu Dhabi Customs, AD Ports Group and Emirates Steel discussed how different parts of the emirate’s trade ecosystem work together to support manufacturing and exports.
Khalid Al Marzooqi, VP International Business Development at KEZAD Group, said Abu Dhabi provides both the hard and soft infrastructure companies need to establish themselves locally before expanding internationally.
“Being in Abu Dhabi means you are being in a growing economy, so there are a lot of business opportunities,” he said.
He also highlighted the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, saying their role extends beyond reducing tariffs to facilitating transactions between the UAE and partner countries.
Al Marzooqi said KEZAD itself has developed a strong business community, giving companies access to potential customers, suppliers and partners within the same industrial ecosystem.
He said KEZAD’s proximity to ports, airports, road networks and GCC markets, alongside specialised industrial clusters and free-zone options, gives businesses different ways to structure operations for both local and international markets.
Abdulla Al Mehairi, Director of Abu Dhabi Customs, said simplifying customs procedures is particularly important for companies trading internationally. “The most important thing for international trading is moving the shipment fast and easily, with a less complicated process,” he said.
Al Mehairi noted that 100% of Abu Dhabi Customs services are digitalised, and AI has also been introduced into clearance processes. He added that processes which previously took between 7 and 15 minutes can now take less than 38 seconds, with documents scanned and the system generating the customs documentation.
Integration with ports, logistics operators and other entities is also central to reducing complexity, he said. “The most important thing on this integration, from a customs point of view, is integration with our stakeholders, so we make one unified journey that simplifies the process,” Al Mehairi explained.
Jakob Larssen, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Ports at AD Ports Group, said port infrastructure increasingly needs to be designed around the individual requirements of manufacturers rather than treated simply as a gateway for cargo.
“We start from each customer, and we start looking at the manufacturing process, focusing on what they need in terms of raw materials, exit points…etc. and we design our services and infrastructure around it,” Larssen said.
He said ports had evolved beyond their traditional role, with closer integration required across inland connectivity, industrial zones and logistics networks.
Larssen also highlighted predictability as an increasingly important issue for businesses.
He said the next step is connecting visibility across different parts of the supply chain, with new AI solutions expected to improve real-time predictability around when cargo can enter, move through and leave the system.
Michael Rion, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Steel, said Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure provides manufacturers with an important platform for both receiving raw materials and exporting finished products.
He said Emirates Steel exports to more than 70 countries, making supply-chain costs a significant factor in competitiveness. “If you want to remain competitive, you have, of course, to be extremely competitive on those costs. We also need to make sure that the products we are offering to the market are at the highest standard,” Rion added.
He said that manufacturers also need to address environmental requirements and reduce the carbon intensity of production to support customers seeking to decarbonise.
