The United Arab Emirates stands at the forefront of the global electric vehicle (EV) revolution with dedicated strategies such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, Green Mobility Strategy 2030, and the UAE Net Zero 2050 initiative, among others. This World EV Day marks a moment to acknowledge how far we have come in embracing sustainable mobility - and to envision the road that lies ahead. In the UAE, electric mobility is now omnipresent and already a way of life, only made possible through strategic leadership and practical innovation that continues to reshape our economy and improve our standard of living. UAE’s vision for electric mobility The UAE EV market is projected to reach $1.8 billion in 2025, with over 30,000 EVs already registered in Dubai alone and major investments continuing to accelerate growth. Consumer perceptions in the UAE are rapidly shifting, with electric vehicles (EVs) increasingly viewed as a practical choice rather than a futuristic aspiration. While internal combustion (IC) and hybrid cars still represent the current majority of the market, the accelerating growth of EV sales - underlined by a surge in demand and triple-digit pre-bookings for new models - indicates a clear preference for the lower day-to-day running costs EVs offer. This momentum is being supported by strategic partnerships across sectors, these are crucial for building the comprehensive ecosystem needed to support the UAE's ambitious goals and to remove any remaining range anxiety for customers. Building a complete EV ecosystem The UAE is a magnet for talent and residents, with Dubai alone projected to have its population nearly double to 7.8 million by 2040. This unprecedented growth means more people and, inevitably, more cars on our roads. While ambitious public transport projects like Etihad Rail will revolutionise intercity travel, they are not a replacement for personal mobility. Our private vehicles remain a crucial part of daily life for commuting, family needs, and last-mile connectivity. Therefore, we must focus on transforming the vehicles themselves to meet our sustainability goals. The true measure of our success will be our ability to scale a complete EV ecosystem that seamlessly integrates with a growing population, ensuring that every new vehicle added to our roads is a step toward a cleaner, greener future for all. But achieving a fully electric future requires building a resilient, inclusive mobility ecosystem. This includes: • Expanding accessibility: Our progress hinges on deep collaboration between government, business leaders, and the public. Through joint initiatives, legislative updates, and continued investment in research and development, we are building a future ready for tomorrow’s challenges. Nationwide deployment of charging stations, including in remote areas, ensures every resident can rely on EVs without range anxiety. Strategic partnerships are deploying integrated infrastructure and hundreds of accessible charging stations across the emirates. Adding to this, we have forged strategic alliances with partners like UAEV, ADNOC and Charge&Go by e& to provide our customers with exclusive access to their extensive charging networks. • Driving education and awareness: Events like World EV Day open valuable conversations about EV ownership, battery life, maintenance, and charging. Industry stakeholders must work together to demystify the technology and empower consumers with knowledge, ensuring the transition is smooth and transparent. • AWR Group is moving beyond consumer-facing initiatives, by actively incentivising our own employees to adopt electric vehicles. This includes providing free or subsidised charging at the workplace, integrating EVs into our company fleet, and offering attractive internal purchase programmes. • Promoting choice and innovation: The UAE’s vibrant market now offers a diverse range of EVs - from compact city cars and luxury models to commercial vehicles - allowing more people to find an electric solution that fits their needs and budget. Corporate adoption is rising, with widespread transition in logistics, ride-hailing, and public transport sectors • From our perspective, our portfolio includes EV brands Zeekr and smart, which are introducing models that combine cutting-edge design and performance with the latest in sustainable technology. Powering a bright, sustainable future The journey to electrification is not a solo effort but rather a shared responsibility for all involved. On this World EV Day, the UAE celebrates not only its remarkable progress but also the partnerships that make it possible. By working together, we can accelerate momentum and shape a cleaner, quieter, and more resilient mobility landscape, setting a new standard for generations to come. The road ahead is electric, illuminated by innovation and guided by our collective vision for a sustainable future.

The world continues to break weather records; the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) now indicates an 86% chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a notable increase from their 2024 outlook. This global warming trend is manifesting locally through unprecedented heatwaves, such as a May temperature record for the UAE, and anomalous heavy rainfall. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025 further underscores this vulnerability, highlighting extreme weather as the second most likely cause of a global crisis this year, with environmental risks dominating the top long-term concerns. The implications can be drastic for nations heavily reliant on imports for essential goods, particularly food (around 85% of food needs are imported) and manufactured products. Major import source markets, including India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and various European nations, are simultaneously experiencing unprecedented climate challenges. Droughts in agricultural powerhouses, severe storms disrupting port operations in key Asian manufacturing hubs, and heatwaves impacting labour productivity in European distribution centres directly ripple through intricate global supply chains. These interconnected disruptions create a domino effect, leading to extended transit times, increased freight costs, and heightened volatility in commodity prices, ultimately affecting the cost of living and business operations. However, the UAE has taken a lead in proactively addressing these challenges by embracing smart logistics and leveraging the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive route planning and real-time adjustments. This transformative approach allows businesses to proactively avoid disruptions, maintain efficiency, and bolster supply chain resilience. For instance, in maritime shipping, AI-powered platforms analyse vast datasets, including historical weather patterns, real-time oceanic conditions, port congestion, and geopolitical events. Suppose a significant storm is forecast to impact the Suez Canal, for example. In that case, the system can instantly suggest alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope, calculating optimal speeds and fuel consumption to minimise delays and costs, rather than waiting for the disruption. This predictive capability is crucial for the UAE, which relies on global sea lanes for its imports. Beyond major shipping routes, AI is revolutionising last-mile delivery within the UAE's bustling cities. Consider a logistics provider managing a fleet of delivery vans: traditionally, routes might be static, leading to inefficiencies during unexpected traffic jams or sudden downpours. Smart logistics, real-time traffic data, live weather feeds, and even public event schedules are continuously fed into an AI engine. If a sudden sandstorm reduces visibility on a main artery, the AI can immediately re-optimise routes for the affected vehicles, rerouting them to clear roads and notifying customers of adjusted delivery times with remarkable precision. Furthermore, predictive maintenance powered by AI, which extensively use sensors and machine learning t, ensures that vehicles and machinery across the supply chain are proactively serviced, significantly reducing the risk of breakdowns and further delays due to mechanical failures. "Smart packaging" takes this commitment to resilience a step further by utilising advanced, protective materials and embedded sensors to ensure product integrity and visibility, even in challenging conditions. This is particularly vital as a country because we import a significant volume of temperature-sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals, fresh produce, and high-value electronics. For instance, pharmaceutical companies increasingly employ smart packaging with time-temperature indicators (TTIs) and RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags. These TTIs change colour if the temperature inside the package deviates from the required range, providing an immediate visual alert to logistics personnel. Simultaneously, RFID tags allow for continuous, real-time tracking of the package's precise location and environmental conditions throughout its journey from a factory, across vast oceans, and through scorching desert climates, ensuring that the vaccine's efficacy is never compromised and enabling immediate intervention if an issue arises. Beyond temperature control, smart packaging offers unparalleled visibility and anti-counterfeiting measures, a critical concern in a globalised market. High-value fashion items or luxury electronics arriving in Abu Dhabi port might now be enclosed in packaging with NFC (Near-Field Communication) tags. When scanned with a smartphone or specialised reader, these tags can authenticate the product's origin, display its whole supply chain journey, and even reveal details about its manufacturing process. This builds consumer trust and provides a powerful deterrent against counterfeit goods, protecting both brands and consumers. Furthermore, embedded humidity sensors prove invaluable for sensitive electronics and machinery imports, alerting logistics operators if moisture levels exceed safe thresholds during transit, preventing costly damage and ensuring product quality upon arrival. Combining the predictive power of smart logistics and the protective assurance of smart packaging is key to forging a truly robust and resilient supply chain in the face of escalating climate volatility. This integrated approach creates a symbiotic relationship: smart logistics identifies and mitigates macro-level disruptions across entire networks, while smart packaging safeguards product integrity at the micro-level, ensuring that even if unforeseen challenges arise, the goods remain viable and valuable. Ultimately, this integrated approach—where smart logistics mitigates macro-level disruptions and smart packaging safeguards micro-level integrity—is the key to future-proofing supply chains. It's a core belief driving forward-thinking logistics providers today. As a leader in the UAE, AWR Logistics has made this ethos central to its mission, pioneering a seamless ecosystem of AI-driven logistics and advanced packaging. By doing so, we empower our clients to not only navigate global challenges but also thrive, building resilient supply chains that can withstand the tests of our time.

My career journey began with a bachelor’s degree in international business studies at university, a path that has proven invaluable in navigating the UAE's rapidly evolving economic landscape. What started as traditional business education has evolved into a career at the intersection of strategic procurement, supply chain management, and the UAE's continued economic transformation. The landscape for developing projects, acquiring goods and services, particularly for technically complex developments, has transformed dramatically from what I witnessed early in my career to the sophisticated ecosystem I navigate today. The role of business-specific studies in the UAE’s progress The UAE's remarkable progress in diversifying its economy tells a story of intentional transformation across all sectors, including the critical business functions that support our nation's growth. This achievement represents thousands of individual journeys across diverse professional fields, each contributing to a broader narrative of economic diversification that defines our nation's trajectory. This transformation stems from ambitious national initiatives that prioritise industrial growth and technological advancement. The UAE's commitment to more than doubling its industrial sector contribution to GDP by 2031 as part of Operation 300bn has created unprecedented demand not just for technical expertise, but for sophisticated business management across manufacturing, clean energy, and innovation-driven industries. As the nation pursues sustainable economic diversification through advanced industrial capabilities, professionals with strong business foundations find themselves managing complex procurement processes, optimising supply chains, and ensuring strategic resource allocation for projects that combine technical rigour with strategic impact. Supporting Emiratis through bespoke programmes At AWR Group, our Emiratisation strategy, Wa'ed—meaning "promise" in Arabic—is our pledge to identify, develop, and retain top Emirati talent. The programme places graduates into dynamic roles across our diversified portfolio, from strategic acquisition and group-wide supply chain operations to emerging sectors like agri-tech and sustainable packaging. These positions are far from traditional; they demand sophisticated analytical thinking and strategic business acumen to manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, and optimise supply chains for complex industrial projects. We provide structured mentorship and clear career progression paths, ensuring that our Emirati professionals are not just participants, but future leaders who are ready to drive our nation's progress. The multiplier effect of business education The generational impact of excellence in business education and strategic thinking has a multiplier effect that extends well beyond organisational boundaries. Today's emerging business professionals see role models in boardrooms, strategic planning offices, and more. They witness colleagues, mentors, and industry leaders managing complex supply chains, negotiating strategic partnerships, and optimising operations that support cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and space technology. When we empower diverse talent to lead in business functions that support technical innovation and strategic growth, we ensure that today's economic transformation creates lasting impact for generations to come. This approach builds a future where business excellence transcends traditional boundaries, where the most effective strategies emerge from the richest diversity of perspectives, and where every generation contributes to our collective economic progress. The foundation of any successful economy lies not just in technical innovation but in the business expertise that brings those innovations to market, manages their implementation, and ensures their sustainable growth. As Emiratis, we have the opportunity to lead in these critical business functions that support our nation's continued transformation.

Since 2017, Wa’ed, Arabic for “promise”, has been the driving force behind AWR Group’s Emiratisation strategy. More than a programme, it embodies our pledge to unlock the potential of UAE Nationals and cultivate next generation of leaders who will strengthen both our organisation and the nation. This is not a box ticking exercise but a resolute promise: meaningful careers, continuous growth and a workplace in which every Emirati can thrive. Practical Pathways for Early Talent Wa’ed begins by welcoming university students into hands-on Internships, placing them in departments that align with their studies. From engineering to finance, interns gain practical experience that bridges knowledge and corporate skills. In 2024 alone, we hosted over 80 internships, equipping young Emiratis with vital real-world skills. Complementing this are our Apprenticeship and Summer Training programmes, which invite school graduates and undergraduates to immerse themselves in our operations. These short-term placements create seamless pathways from education to employment. Shaping Early Career Professionals Our Graduate Training Programme transforms promising graduates into fully fledged professionals. Over a meticulously structured twelve month journey, trainees rotate through key functions, attend formal workshops and receive on the job mentoring. By year’s end, each participant steps into a permanent role with a revised job title and competitive salary. In 2024, more than 20 graduates completed this immersive experience and now drive AWR Group’s future. Continuous Development and Recognition Once onboard, our Emirati employees benefit from ongoing Learning & Development initiatives and trainings. Last year alone, over 300 hours of targeted training, both online and in-person, were delivered to hone leadership, commercial and technical capabilities. Whether through bespoke workshops or digital masterclasses, our aim is to prepare them for senior roles. We then honour excellence via our annual Wa’ed Awards, celebrating outstanding individuals whose innovation and results set benchmarks across the Group. At the heart of Wa’ed sits the Wa’ed Committee, a cross functional team of UAE Nationals charged with designing and delivering each initiative. Their commitment ensures that every activity aligns with our strategic objectives and the aspirations of our national talent, lending authenticity and sustained impact to the programme. A Collective Success Numbers tell part of the story. Over 200 UAE Nationals now flourish across our divisions, with 40–50 new joiners welcomed each year, and more than 10 Wa’ed Awards presented annually. Yet the true measure lies in individual journeys: the young graduate who led a major project, the apprentice whose innovative ideas improved our operations, the senior Emirati executive now mentoring the next cohort. Wa’ed is progress in practice. It is realised every time a young Emirati discovers their potential, every time a trainee’s insight drives innovation, and every time our Wa’ed Committee refines the programme. Together, we are building the next generation of leaders who embody the UAE’s vision of sustainable growth, innovation and shared prosperity. As we look ahead, Wa’ed remains our guiding star, a promise that moves us forward, bold and real.