TRENDS Global, part of the TRENDS Group, in partnership with the Observer Middle East Research Foundation (ORFME), will hold the second TRENDS Global-ORFME Economic Dialogue, titled Balancing Connectivity and Economic Security: Post-Conflict Strategies for the Global South and the MENA Region, on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at the Observer headquarters at Dubai World Trade Center.
This joint dialogue aims to keep pace with current regional developments and strengthen cooperation and partnership between the TRENDS Group and the Observer Middle East Research Foundation. Both organizations seek to discuss regional and international events and conflicts, explore informed solutions to overcome them, and anticipate their future outcomes. Over two discussion sessions, experts and researchers participating in the dialogue will discuss mechanisms for establishing resilient interdependence in the trade and logistics sectors, in addition to presenting a forward-looking vision for reshaping the regional landscape to enhance energy and food security.
Rebuilding the Economy
Awadh Al-Breiki, Director General of TRENDS Global, said that countries of the Global South and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face a complex challenge in the post-U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict phase: how to rebuild their economies by expanding integration into global markets while protecting the nation-state from external shocks and achieving economic security.
He stated that the joint economic dialogue with ORFME will address mechanisms for formulating a new economic model that reintegrates countries of the Global South and the MENA region into the global economy while protecting their national and financial security. He explained that the concept of economic security in these countries differs from the Western concept, which is centered on high technology, as it focuses on vital priorities, including food and water security, financial sovereignty, and social stability.
Post-Conflict Strategies
The Director General of TRENDS Global indicated that the dialogue will present a range of post-conflict strategies, including diversifying trade partners and supply chains, activating inter-trade agreements, strengthening multilateral alliances, localizing strategic industries — especially in renewable energy and vital manufacturing sectors — building resilient financial and monetary systems, and expanding special economic zones that attract foreign direct investment.
