ORFME was honored as a distinguished partner, celebrating an enduring strategic partnership
TRENDS Global, part of TRENDS Group, and the Observer Research Foundation Middle East (ORFME) launched the research outcomes and policy recommendations of the Second TRENDS Global-ORFME Economic Dialogue, held at ORFME’s office at the Dubai World Trade Center, titled Balancing Connectivity and Economic Security: Post-Conflict Strategies for the Global South and MENA Region.
TRENDS Group also honored ORFME as a Distinguished Partner, celebrating the enduring strategic partnership between the two organizations in research and knowledge initiatives. Their collaboration includes jointly organizing international conferences and seminars, holding regular economic dialogues, and developing impactful initiatives and projects. The recognition took place in the presence of Dr. Samir Saran, President of ORFME, and Dr. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, Chairman of TRENDS Group.
Key Outcomes
The key outcomes of the Second TRENDS Global-ORFME Economic Dialogue included a redefinition of risk in the geopolitical era. Risks have shifted from peripheral concerns to existential challenges, with geopolitical tensions, such as the Strait of Hormuz crisis, now directly affecting supply chains, energy markets, and global trade. Economic security can therefore no longer be viewed separately from national and regional security.
The criteria for assessing global markets have also shifted away from efficiency and low cost toward added value, flexibility, resilience, and system reliability. In addition, insurers and markets, rather than political summits or bilateral agreements, have become key drivers in reshaping global trade routes.
The dialogue emphasized that food security and energy security are two sides of the same coin, with both among the first casualties of conflicts and pandemics. Japan and South Korea have turned to purchasing U.S. crude as an alternative to Gulf supplies, contributing to disruptions in shipping markets and driving costs to record levels above those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and the global financial crisis. The dialogue also noted that the digital and financial sectors, along with advanced manufacturing, proved more capable of absorbing conflict-related shocks. At the same time, aviation, tourism, and logistics were severely affected by their dependence on physical connectivity. This underscores the need to diversify routes to markets, sources of supply, and available alternatives.
Strategic Recommendations
The Second TRENDS Global-ORFME Economic Dialogue recommended developing a new model of strategic connectivity in the Middle East, including integrated multimodal trade corridors, stronger ports and logistics infrastructure, protection of critical economic assets, and greater capacity to reroute trade when traditional routes are at risk.
It also recommended strengthening energy and food security by treating them as part of an integrated strategy. This includes diversifying energy routes, strengthening strategic reserves, bolstering strategic food stocks, diversifying supply sources, and investing across all stages of the food value chain. The dialogue further called for expanding the network of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) among GCC countries and pursuing more bilateral trade agreements.
The dialogue stressed the importance of developing alternative land, air, and sea routes that extend beyond oil to encompass non-oil industrial exports and food imports. It also called for recalibrating the priorities of economic diversification plans to place greater emphasis on supply chain security, support for domestic manufacturing, and investment in human capital, skills, and technology.
Expanding Dialogue
On the sidelines of the Second TRENDS Global-ORFME Economic Dialogue, TRENDS Group honored ORFME as a Distinguished Partner, recognizing the active and productive collaboration between the two organizations. Their partnership has produced a series of economic dialogues aimed at developing research-based solutions to current challenges and anticipating their future trajectories, alongside events that advance sustainable development and build a knowledge-based economy.
The collaboration between TRENDS and ORFME represents a model of an enduring strategic partnership between research institutions and think tanks, focused on producing specialized studies on global issues. It also reflects TRENDS’ commitment to building bridges of cooperation with leading international research institutions and broadening intellectual dialogue on pressing global issues.
Dr. Samir Saran, President of ORFME, expressed his appreciation for the recognition and the distinguished partnership between ORFME and TRENDS Group. He commended the Group’s leading role in enriching the research, academic, and knowledge landscape, noting that cooperation among think tanks strengthens their ability to understand complex issues and deliver in-depth, forward-looking analysis through interactive sessions and open dialogue among experts and researchers.
