Taarek Hinedi

The current situation has introduced added complexity across the Gulf and wider Middle East, particularly for businesses dependent on predictable cross-border trade and stable supply chains. For the logistics sector, this means operating with greater agility, continuously reassessing route planning, monitoring airspace and maritime corridors, and ensuring continuity in a fluid environment.

Across the industry, we are seeing a clear shift toward adaptive operations, with providers strengthening contingency frameworks, recalibrating networks, and leveraging alternative gateways to maintain the flow of goods. At FedEx, continuity is built into how we operate.

Our network is designed for flexibility across air and ground, allowing us to dynamically adjust routes and modes as conditions evolve. This includes introducing alternative international gateways such as Johannesburg, Nairobi, Istanbul, and Amsterdam to sustain connectivity between the Middle East, Europe, and the US. Complementing this, our Middle East Road Network enables efficient redistribution from key hubs such as Dubai and Riyadh across the GCC and Jordan.

Combined, this multimodal approach spanning air and ground ensures we can maintain the movement of critical shipments across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace, retail, and energy – ensuring that supply chains, and in turn economies, continue to function.

At the same time, the region’s underlying fundamentals remain strong. The Gulf has invested significantly in building world-class logistics infrastructure and diversified trade corridors, which continue to support market access and economic continuity.

What we are seeing is an evolution towards more resilient, responsive supply chains. At FedEx, our presence across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa provides additional resilience. Infrastructure such as our hub at Dubai World Central, along with our nonstop connectivity from the West into Saudi Arabia, strengthens our ability to support customers with consistent, reliable access to global markets.

Ultimately, the opportunity lies in building smarter, more connected supply chains that are not only resilient in times of disruption, but better equipped to support long-term trade growth across the region.