Dubai Wholesale City, a member of the TECOM Group, has hosted an Innovation in Trade forum at its headquarters in Dubai Studio City.

The event attracted experts to discuss latest advances and trends in the wholesale trading sector and identify the steps necessary to shape a smart city platform in line with the Dubai Government smart city vision.

Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Wholesale City, attended the session that aimed to highlight innovative technologies to create the smart city platform and optimise day-to-day wholesale operations. Several strategic partners of Dubai Wholesale City, including Accenture, the international management consultancy, as well as team members of TECOM Group, participated in the forum.

Speaking on the importance of the event, Belhoul said, "In a productive discussion with our partners, we addressed a range of issues relevant to innovation in the wholesale trading market in the UAE. Spanning key topics such as the ability of smart solutions and digital platforms to add value to wholesalers, the talks paid particular attention to the role of digitisation in boosting trade competitiveness."

He added, "To achieve maximum effectiveness, innovation in wholesale trade has to encompass multiple streams, such as mobility, waste management, energy efficiency, safety and security, processes, e-commerce and smart city solutions. With a focus on these vital streams, the outcomes of our session will enable us to build an innovation roadmap that will be critical to our success. We believe such forums offer tremendous value to Dubai Wholesale City and to our stakeholders in integrating best practices to boost productivity."

As a follow-up to the Innovation in Trade Forum, Dubai Wholesale City and its partners will develop an innovation and digitalisation roadmap to support the leading role of Dubai Wholesale City in future global trade.