ECI highlights UAE’s strategic role in reshaping global trade

Raja Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), emphasized the United Arab Emirates' significant and growing influence as a resilient global trade and investment hub. She made these remarks during a high-level panel discussion at TXF Global 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic, a leading conference focused on export finance.

“

The changing geopolitical and economic landscape over the past few years has had a profound and direct impact on ECI’s strategy, risk appetite, and operating model.

Addressing global policymakers, export finance leaders, and institutional investors, Al Mazrouei detailed how shifting geopolitical and economic landscapes are transforming global trade flows. She explained the evolving role of export credit agencies in fostering sustainable and diversified economic growth. Al Mazrouei asserted that recent global shifts have profoundly impacted ECI's strategy, risk appetite, and operational model, noting that the current trade environment differs vastly from ECI's establishment in 2018.

Amidst global disruptions like supply chain issues and geopolitical fragmentation, the UAE has shown agility in positioning itself as a key connector between developed and high-growth markets. Strategic investments in logistics infrastructure, expansion of its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) network, accelerated industrial diversification, and strengthened international partnerships have reinforced the UAE's status as a global trade gateway. ECI's strategy has evolved in tandem with the UAE's economic transformation agenda, moving beyond mere trade facilitation to enabling strategic economic partnerships that support national diversification and enhance global competitiveness.

“

Through strategic investments in logistics infrastructure, the expansion of its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) network, accelerated industrial diversification, and strengthened international partnerships, the UAE continues to reinforce its role as a global trade gateway.

ECI has adopted a more forward-looking exposure appetite, supporting UAE exporters and investors in high-potential emerging markets aligned with the UAE's CEPA agenda. Through credit guarantees, risk mitigation, and trade finance instruments, ECI aims to de-risk investments and encourage private sector participation in crucial sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, healthcare, digital transformation, and sustainable development. The company currently operates in 30 African countries, supporting diverse projects and empowering UAE-based SMEs to integrate into global supply chains. Al Mazrouei also noted ECI's increasing reliance on data analytics for a more responsive operating model.

“

As the UAE’s federal export credit company, ECI’s role extends beyond facilitating trade to enabling strategic economic partnerships that support national diversification and strengthen global competitiveness.