Opening his address, Beat Simon welcomed delegates to Dubai and positioned the city as one of the world’s most dynamic retail destinations. From luxury and fast fashion to experiential retail, Dubai has redefined the role of the mall, transforming it into a social and cultural destination rather than a purely transactional space.

Beat highlighted how retail concepts in Dubai are evolving, with showrooms increasingly replacing traditional inventory-heavy stores. This model allows retailers to showcase products while fulfilling orders directly to customers’ homes, blending physical retail with ecommerce to maximise space efficiency and customer convenience.

A recurring theme of the keynote was the often unseen role of logistics. When supply chains operate smoothly, they go unnoticed. When they fail, they dominate headlines. Beat emphasised that speed, reliability, and coordination across supply chains are essential to ensuring customers find what they need, when they need it.

Dubai’s strategic position as a bridge between Asia, Europe, and Africa was central to the discussion. With integrated sea-air capabilities, free zones, ports, and airports operating in close proximity, Dubai enables rapid movement of goods across continents, reinforcing its role as a global logistics hub.

Beat outlined DP World’s scale and reach, from port operations to logistics and end-to-end supply chain solutions. He highlighted the importance of resilience, visibility, and cost control, particularly in a global environment shaped by tariffs, trade friction, and ongoing disruption.

Closing the session, Beat positioned DELIVER Middle East as a powerful platform for connection and collaboration. By bringing together senior leaders from retail, ecommerce, logistics, and supply chain, the event creates opportunities to build partnerships, exchange ideas, and collectively ensure that trade continues to flow efficiently across the region.