What is the format of this conference?

This event is structured as a conference, providing a platform for discussions and presentations on trade, connectivity, and globalization.

International Conference on Trade, Connectivity, and Globalization in the Middle East

Name: International Conference on Trade, Connectivity, and Globalization in the Middle East
Start: 2026-10-17T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-10-17T00:00:00Z
Location: Gondar

Oct 17, 2026Gondar, EthiopiaIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Trade, Connectivity, and Globalization in the Middle East, held in Gondar, ETH, focuses on the evolving economic landscape of the Middle East. This event serves as a platform for discussions on critical issues shaping trade relations, regional connectivity, and the broader implications of globalization within the region. Participants will explore strategies for fostering economic growth and stability amidst complex geopolitical dynamics.

Committees & topics

Topics
Trade Networks in the Ancient Middle East · Globalization and Its Regional Impacts · Economic Policies in Middle Eastern Countries · Cultural Exchanges Through Trade Routes · Impact of Technology on Trade Practices · Regional Connectivity and Infrastructure Development · Trade Agreements and Economic Cooperation · Challenges of Modern Trade in the Region

Why it matters

The Middle East is a pivotal region for global trade and connectivity, acting as a crossroads between continents. Understanding the dynamics of trade and globalization here is crucial for international economic stability and development. This conference provides an opportunity to analyze how regional policies and international partnerships influence economic trajectories, impacting not only the Middle East but also global markets.

The discussions at this conference are particularly relevant given the ongoing shifts in global power structures and trade routes. The region's strategic importance, coupled with its vast energy resources and emerging markets, means that its economic health has far-reaching consequences. Examining the challenges and opportunities in trade and connectivity can illuminate pathways for sustainable development and regional integration.

Furthermore, the conference's focus on globalization underscores the interconnectedness of economies. In an era where supply chains are increasingly complex and geopolitical tensions can disrupt trade flows, understanding the specific vulnerabilities and resiliencies of the Middle Eastern economy is paramount. The insights gained from this event can inform policy-making and investment strategies for various stakeholders worldwide.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of this conference, delegates should undertake a comprehensive review of the current economic and political landscape of the Middle East. This includes understanding the major trade agreements, infrastructure projects, and geopolitical factors that influence regional connectivity. A strong grasp of the historical context of trade relations in the region will also be beneficial.

Delegates should prepare to analyze the interplay between national interests and regional cooperation, particularly concerning trade liberalization and economic diversification. Utilizing frameworks such as those discussed in the "Mapping Relationships" and "Dynamic Analysis" lessons can help in dissecting complex stakeholder networks and predicting potential shifts in regional alliances. Consideration of "Hidden Stakeholders" will also be crucial for a nuanced understanding of the region's economic drivers.

Furthermore, it is advisable to research specific case studies of successful and challenging trade initiatives within the Middle East. This will enable participants to contribute meaningfully to discussions on best practices and potential pitfalls. Preparing questions that address the long-term implications of current trade policies and technological advancements on regional economies will enhance the depth of engagement.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Ethiopia

As the host nation, ETH is keen to highlight its role as a growing economic hub in East Africa and its potential as a gateway for trade with the broader Middle East.

Role in topic

ETH's geographic position makes it a strategic partner in discussions about regional connectivity, particularly concerning trade routes between Africa and the Middle East. The country's development initiatives and infrastructure projects are central to enhancing these connections.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Trade Networks in the Ancient Middle East

The Middle East has functioned as a commercial crossroads since the Bronze Age. Mesopotamian city-states such as Ur and Uruk traded grain, textiles, and silver with the Indus Valley, Anatolia, and Egypt as early as the third millennium BCE, while cuneiform tablets from Kanesh document Assyrian merchant colonies operating sophisticated credit systems. The Phoenicians later extended maritime networks across the Mediterranean, and overland caravan routes through Petra, Palmyra, and the Arabian incense trail linked South Arabian frankincense producers with Roman and Persian markets. From the first centuries CE, the region became the central pivot of the Silk Roads, with Sasanian Persia mediating trade between Han China, India, and the Roman Empire. After the rise of Islam, Abbasid Baghdad and Fatimid Cairo emerged as global commercial hubs, with merchants using instruments such as the sakk (an early check) and hawala remittance system. Indian Ocean trade through Basra, Aden, and Hormuz tied the region to East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for centuries. These ancient networks left enduring institutional legacies: contract law, partnership structures (qirad/mudaraba), standardized weights, and diplomatic conventions. They also shaped the demographic and cultural geography that modern Middle Eastern states inherit, and remain a frequent reference point in contemporary debates about reviving overland connectivity such as China's Belt and Road and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

Key players

Globalization and Its Regional Impacts

Globalization arrived in the modern Middle East in successive waves: late-Ottoman integration into European capital markets in the 19th century, the post-World War II oil order that tied Gulf producers to global energy demand, and the post-1990s liberalization that brought WTO accession, sovereign wealth funds, and dense financial linkages with Asia, Europe, and North America. The 1973 oil shock and the recycling of petrodollars first demonstrated how decisively regional decisions could reshape global economic flows. Since the 2000s, Gulf states have used globalization to diversify, building logistics, aviation, and tourism hubs in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, while non-oil economies such as Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco have pursued export-processing zones and remittance-driven growth. At the same time, exposure to global commodity cycles, food import dependence (highlighted by the 2007-08 and 2022 price shocks following the war in Ukraine), and capital flight have produced acute vulnerabilities, contributing to the social pressures behind the 2011 uprisings. Today the region is navigating a more contested globalization: US-China strategic competition, sanctions regimes targeting Iran and Syria, energy transition pressures, and the rise of South-South trade. States are simultaneously deepening ties with Asia and hedging against decoupling, making the Middle East a key arena for debates about the future shape of the global economic order.

Key players

Economic Policies in Middle Eastern Countries

Economic policy in the Middle East has long been shaped by the rentier model, in which hydrocarbon revenues finance public employment, subsidies, and state-led investment. From the 1970s, Gulf monarchies built extensive welfare states funded by oil and gas, while republics such as Egypt, Syria, and Iraq pursued Arab socialist models with large public sectors. Structural adjustment programs in the 1990s, often under IMF guidance, partially liberalized non-oil economies but left unemployment, informality, and inequality largely unaddressed. Since the 2014 oil price collapse, Gulf states have accelerated diversification: Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the UAE's industrial strategy, Qatar's National Vision 2030, and Oman's Vision 2040 all emphasize non-oil sectors, foreign investment, and labor-market reform, including partial dismantling of the kafala system. Sovereign wealth funds such as PIF, ADIA, and QIA have become major global investors. Non-oil economies face starker constraints: Egypt has undertaken repeated IMF programs and currency devaluations; Lebanon remains in a prolonged financial collapse since 2019; Turkey is managing heterodox monetary experiments and inflation. Key contemporary debates concern fiscal sustainability under energy transition, the role of state-owned enterprises, taxation (including the rollout of VAT across the GCC), subsidy reform, and the integration of large youth cohorts into productive employment.

Key players

Cultural Exchanges Through Trade Routes

Trade routes through the Middle East have been vectors not only of goods but of religions, languages, sciences, and artistic forms. The spread of Aramaic as a lingua franca under the Achaemenids, the diffusion of Hellenistic culture after Alexander, and the transmission of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam along caravan and maritime routes all illustrate how commerce and culture were inseparable. The Abbasid translation movement in 8th-10th century Baghdad systematically rendered Greek, Persian, and Sanskrit works into Arabic, later transmitting them to Latin Europe via Andalusia and Sicily. Indian Ocean and Red Sea trade carried Swahili, Persian, and Arabic vocabularies across littorals, while the annual Hajj functioned as one of history's largest sustained exchanges of people, ideas, and manuscripts. Ottoman and Safavid courts patronized hybrid architectural and artistic traditions visible from Isfahan to Istanbul to Cairo. Coffee, originating in Yemen and Ethiopia, spread through Sufi networks and Ottoman cities to become a global commodity by the 17th century. Contemporary actors increasingly frame heritage and cultural diplomacy as strategic assets: UNESCO listings of Silk Road and incense route sites, museum partnerships such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Saudi initiatives at AlUla draw on this deep history to support tourism, soft power, and identity politics in a region where cultural narratives remain politically contested.

Key players

Impact of Technology on Trade Practices

Technological change has repeatedly reshaped Middle Eastern trade. The Suez Canal's opening in 1869 collapsed shipping times between Europe and Asia and entrenched Egypt's strategic centrality; containerization in the late 20th century enabled Jebel Ali, Salalah, and Khalifa Port to become among the world's busiest transshipment hubs. Pipelines, LNG trains, and tanker fleets have transformed the physical mechanics of energy trade since the mid-20th century. Digital technologies are now the leading edge. GCC states have invested heavily in port automation, single-window customs platforms, and national logistics strategies; the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain have piloted blockchain-based trade documentation and electronic bills of lading aligned with UNCITRAL's MLETR. E-commerce platforms such as Noon and Jumia, fintech licensing in DIFC and ADGM, and rapid adoption of instant payment systems are reshaping consumer and SME trade. AI-driven demand forecasting and inspection technologies are being integrated into customs and port operations. Key policy questions concern cybersecurity of critical logistics infrastructure (highlighted by repeated incidents in regional ports and pipelines), cross-border data flows, interoperability with European and Asian digital trade frameworks, and ensuring that smaller and conflict-affected economies are not left behind as digital trade standards harden.

Key players

Regional Connectivity and Infrastructure Development

Physical connectivity has been a perennial concern in a region defined by chokepoints: the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab el-Mandeb together carry a substantial share of global seaborne oil and container traffic. Disruptions, from the 2021 Ever Given grounding to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping since 2023, have repeatedly demonstrated the fragility of these arteries and the global stakes in regional stability. Major initiatives are reshaping the connectivity map. China's Belt and Road Initiative has financed ports, rail, and industrial zones from Gwadar to Piraeus, with significant Middle Eastern nodes. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced at the 2023 G20, envisions rail and shipping links from India through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel to Europe, though its progress has been complicated by the Gaza war. The GCC Railway, long delayed, is advancing in segments, and Turkey's Middle Corridor positions it as a Eurasian bridge bypassing Russia. Intra-regional connectivity, however, remains uneven. Border closures, sanctions on Syria and Iran, the unresolved Qatar-blockade legacy, and conflict in Yemen, Iraq, and Libya fragment land routes. Debates center on financing models, standardization, environmental safeguards, and how connectivity projects interact with broader geopolitical alignments.

Key players

Trade Agreements and Economic Cooperation

Formal economic cooperation in the Middle East has historically lagged its commercial potential. The Arab League's Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), in force since 2005, eliminated most tariffs among Arab states but left non-tariff barriers largely intact. The Gulf Cooperation Council, established in 1981, achieved a customs union (2003) and common market (2008) but has progressed unevenly on monetary union and unified external trade policy, particularly after the 2017-2021 Qatar diplomatic crisis. External agreements have multiplied. The EU maintains association agreements under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the Union for the Mediterranean, while the Agadir Agreement links Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. Israel's free trade agreements with the US and EU, and the 2020 Abraham Accords, opened new commercial channels with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Several Gulf states have signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with India, and the GCC is negotiating FTAs with China, the UK, and others. Turkey participates in a customs union with the EU dating to 1995. Debates focus on harmonizing rules of origin, services and digital trade liberalization, dispute settlement, and the role of trade in stabilization for conflict-affected economies. The accession of Saudi Arabia (2005) and the ongoing negotiations involving Iraq, Lebanon, and others to the WTO also frame regional commitments to multilateral rules.

Key players

Challenges of Modern Trade in the Region

Middle Eastern trade faces a converging set of pressures. Security shocks, including the war in Gaza since October 2023 and ensuing Red Sea disruptions, have rerouted container traffic around the Cape of Good Hope, raising costs and emissions and cutting Suez Canal revenues sharply. Sanctions architectures around Iran, Syria, and parts of the financial system constrain banking, insurance, and shipping. Persistent conflict in Yemen, Libya, and Sudan disrupts regional supply chains and labor flows. Structural challenges compound these shocks. Heavy dependence on hydrocarbon exports leaves several economies exposed to the global energy transition and to carbon border measures such as the EU's CBAM. Food and water insecurity, intensified by climate change and exposure to Black Sea grain markets, raise the political stakes of trade policy. Youth unemployment, informal labor, and migrant worker conditions remain pressing, while currency crises in Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey have eroded import capacity. Looking forward, the region must navigate US-China strategic competition, the reconfiguration of supply chains, digital trade rule-making, and demands for green industrial policy. Cooperation on standards, transit guarantees, dispute resolution, and crisis logistics is increasingly seen as essential, but is repeatedly tested by underlying political rivalries.

Key players

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Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Mapping Relationships

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Cross-Cultural Communication

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

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Country dossier

Ethiopia October 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Why it matters

How to prepare

International Conference on Trade, Connectivity, and Globalization in the Middle East

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background