There is a need for better international cross-sector connectivity in order to realise the significant trade potential, said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the chairman and chief executive of Dubai-based global marine terminal operator DP World Group.

He was addressing the gathering of corporate leaders, project owners, global investors and service professionals at the China's Belt and Road Summit held recently in Hong Kong.

Speaking on a panel entitled ‘Enhancing cross-sector connectivity along the Belt and Road’ he stressed the impact on global trade that economic cooperation can bring, with more than 60 countries involved in the One Belt One Road (Obor) initiative.

The Obor includes 30 per cent of the world’s countries home to 70 per cent of its population, 55 per cent of global GNP and 75 per cent of total energy reserves.

Bin Sulayem said: "With a project of this magnitude, it is essential that we remove complexities from the supply chain to realise the potential benefits of such a global initiative."

"International transport routes need to support seamless trade movement more than ever - this means simplifying customs requirements and standardising logistics, addressing different rail gauges and ICT issues so that goods can move smoothly from point A to B without interruption and unnecessary bottlenecks. This requires cross sector and cross border partnerships," he stated.

"Dubai and the UAE are exporting this knowledge and expertise across the world. We’ve pioneered multimodal transport and logistics connectivity with smart technology at our flagship Jebel Ali Port and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), home to 7,300 companies," remarked Bin Sulayem.

"It has tremendous capability to process and deliver cargo with remarkable efficiency and is an outstanding example of how important soft and hard infrastructure are to the socio-economic success of any nation. That experience is being applied to our other operations across the world," he added.

“China is a key part of our global network. Our joint ventures in Qingdao, Tianjin, Yantai and Hong Kong are very important to us and are a perfect example of the impact of strong partnerships to realise efficiencies along the supply chain.”

On the sidelines of the summit, bin Sulayem met Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy and Carrie Lam, the chief secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Government. He also visited Shenzhen and Qingdao as part of a Jafza roadshow to meet key customers and stakeholders.

At the Jafza roadshow seminars, Bin Sulayem said: "In the modern world, there is a demand for faster, safer and more cost effective transport of goods across the supply chain."

"Free zones need to plug into integrated logistics and co-ordinate with the supply chain community to ensure hinterland access which can be a major inhibitor of economic growth, especially in developing markets," he added.-TradeArabia News Service