Across the board, the Emirates ranks amongst leaders in key logistics-related classes
The United Arab Emirates gives the perfect setting for enterprise and outperforms nearly all different emerging economies in terms of logistics alternatives and digital readiness, in line with the 2025 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index.
The 50-country Index, now in its sixteenth yr, exhibits the UAE enhancing its general competitiveness primarily based on home and worldwide logistics strengths, enterprise local weather and digital readiness – components vital to logistics suppliers, freight forwarders, air and ocean carriers, distributors and traders. The UAE completed among the many prime six in all 4 Index classes.
The 2025 Index lauds the Emirates for increasing the scope of public-private partnerships, appearing with urgency to satisfy the local weather problem, clustering logistics and industrial actions, enhancing customs efficiency and air/ocean connectivity, decreasing CO2 emissions, and supporting startups and digital abilities growth.
The Emirates is No. 3 general behind solely China and India, which maintain a major benefit over different markets within the 50-country rankings due to their dimension. “The UAE is continuing to close the gap with other countries above it in the rankings, demonstrating the benefits of its investment strategies,” the Index says.
In addition to the rankings, the Index encompasses a survey of 567 logistics business professionals.
More than 62% of these surveyed say they’ve overhauled their provide chains to safeguard in opposition to inflation, looming commerce tariffs, the opportunity of a worldwide financial downturn and different main dangers.
The survey exhibits the logistics business coming into 2025 trying to defend itself from rising prices and a possible commerce struggle ignited by anticipated U.S. tariff hikes and a flood of exports from China.
“There is wariness and uncertainty among shippers, carriers, forwarders and others when it comes to the geopolitical factors that drive up costs, affect trade volumes, and alter supply chains,” says Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan. “Companies doing business internationally continue to shift production as they re-evaluate investment plans and search for durable paths to growth.”
The 2025 Index options an in-depth evaluation of UAE and its Arabian Gulf neighbors. Individually and as a bunch, the six Gulf nations are positioning themselves as world commerce hubs, investing closely in infrastructure, AI, power transition, and workforce growth. Despite rising danger to world provide chains, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and different Gulf nations have turn into “beacons of stability” and resilience, the Index concludes.
Stability on the prime of the 50-country rankings was accompanied by volatility and motion additional down within the Index. China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar, Thailand and Vietnam rank 1 by 10. Colombia (No. 21) leaped up the rankings; as Nigeria (43), Bangladesh (39) and Ukraine (40) tumbled.
The six Gulf nations all are among the many prime 11 for enterprise situations: UAE once more tops the rankings for greatest enterprise local weather; Saudi Arabia is third; Qatar fifth. The nations most digitally prepared are China, UAE, Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
In worldwide logistics alternatives, China, India, Mexico, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia rank highest. In home logistics, the leaders are China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
SURVEY
- Recession — Nearly 55% of respondents see a worldwide recession as possible or sure.
- Protectionism — Almost 82% say tariffs and different commerce protectionism are having a major influence on their provide chains.
- Emerging markets – 72% say dangers in rising markets have elevated over the previous yr.
- China – 54% intend to maneuver manufacturing or sourcing out of China within the subsequent 5 years with U.S.-China commerce friction, labor prices and rising home regulation being the largest components.
- Africa – Despite seeing heightened dangers in rising markets, 35% plan to spice up funding in Africa in 2025 vs. solely 8% planning to chop again there.
- Net-Zero – Nearly 65% say their corporations are on observe to satisfy net-zero objectives.
COUNTRY RANKINGS
- In the Middle East and North Africa, general rankings are: UAE (3); Saudi Arabia (4); Qatar (8); Turkey (11); Oman (14); Bahrain (16); Jordan (17); Kuwait (18); Egypt (24); Morocco (26); Iran (32); Tunisia (36); Algeria (38); Lebanon (42); Libya (46).
- Rankings in Sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa (20); Kenya (22); Ghana (31); Tanzania (37); Uganda (41); Nigeria (43); Ethiopia (45); Angola (47); Mozambique (48).
- Rankings in Asia: China (1); India (2); Malaysia (5); Indonesia (6); Thailand (9); Vietnam (10); Philippines (23); Kazakhstan (25); Sri Lanka (27); Cambodia (30); Pakistan (33); Bangladesh (39); Myanmar (49).
- Rankings for Latin America: Mexico (7); Chile (11); Brazil (13); Uruguay (19); Colombia (21); Peru (28); Argentina (29); Ecuador (34); Paraguay (35); Bolivia (44); Venezuela (50).
- In Europe: Ukraine (40).
Transport Intelligence (Ti), a number one evaluation and analysis agency for the logistics business, has compiled the Index because it was launched in 2009.
John Manners-Bell, Chief Executive of Ti, stated: “Despite global economic headwinds and disruption to shipping lanes over the last year, the Gulf economies have proved exceptionally resilient. Diversification and their focus on investment in transport, the green energy transition, and other major infrastructure projects has laid the foundations for future growth. The improving security situation across the region will only act to accelerate their development as a bridge between emerging superpowers and the West.”