At DELIVER Middle East 2026, a panel of retail and manufacturing leaders explored what it takes to operate supply chains under persistent disruption. With geopolitical shocks, port congestion, climate events, and cost pressures impacting the region, the discussion focused on practical resilience strategies that go beyond short-term firefighting.

From a retail perspective, Alena Kavalchuk highlighted how disruption can show up immediately on shelf availability and customer sentiment. When key import markets become unstable, fresh categories and pricing volatility can escalate quickly, forcing rapid supplier switching and proactive assortment planning.

From a manufacturing perspective, Khaled Elsharkawy described how global sourcing dependencies make raw material supply vulnerable to compounding shocks — from container disruptions to regional route instability — putting contingency planning and inventory strategy under constant pressure.

One of the strongest takeaways from the panel was that diversification is not only a supply chain issue. Khaled argued that disruption creates an opportunity to reassess product portfolios, rationalise SKUs, and focus resources on the categories that matter most to customers and profitability. Reducing complexity can lower stress across planning, warehousing, and transport.

With retail carrying vast SKU counts, controlling what matters most becomes essential. Alena shared the importance of category segmentation, supplier diversification across multiple markets, and expanding shelf space for local suppliers where possible — particularly in strategic categories that governments are actively supporting through localisation initiatives.

While AI and analytics are advancing quickly, the panel converged on a clear view: people remain the critical capability. Both speakers emphasised that data is increasingly accessible, but value comes from leaders and planners who can interpret signals, run scenarios, communicate across functions, and make decisions under pressure — with direct P&L accountability.

Audience discussion reinforced that resilience is also built through stronger supplier and distributor partnerships. Transparency, shared targets, collaborative planning, and early warning signals can reduce reaction time in crises — especially when relationships are strong enough to surface issues before they become service failures.

In a world where disruption is continuous, resilient supply chains are built through a mix of portfolio discipline, supplier diversification, local options, technology-enabled visibility, and — most importantly — the right people and partnerships to act decisively in ambiguity.