Standard Chartered study puts UAE in the forefront of digital trade readiness

Standard Chartered, one of the biggest banks in the world, released a report identifying the UAE as the most advanced market globally for digital trade readiness.

The findings, which hail the UAE’s strong foundations in digital infrastructure, regulatory clarity and corporate adoption of technologies that are reshaping cross-border trade, were part of Standard Chartered’s latest ‘Future of Trade: Digitisation’ report.

The results in the report are based on a study, that surveyed 1,200 multinational corporations from 17 key markets worldwide.

As many as 97 per cent UAE corporates identified cloud computing is the most influential driver of digital transformation, the highest adoption level recorded across all surveyed markets.

UAE also stood out for digital asset adoption globally at 68 per cent, placing the country at the forefront of tokenised instruments, digital settlement models and blockchain-enabled trade solutions.

UAE’s internal digital capability is recorded at 73 per cent, one of the strongest in the markets studied. These companies lead their own transformation programmes in-house, reducing dependency on external providers and strengthening local talent development. This high level of self-sufficiency demonstrates a mature and sophisticated business environment that is well-equipped to implement complex digital initiatives.

UAE companies also demonstrate strong engagement with next-generation digital technologies. Augmented and virtual reality adoption has reached 43 per cent, while artificial intelligence adoption stands at 36 per cent, reflecting a broadening application of advanced tools across operations, customer engagement and supply chain processes.

Syed Khurrum Zaeem, Managing Director, Head of Trade and Transactional Banking for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Africa, Standard Chartered, commented: “The UAE has created one of the most advanced digital ecosystems in the world, where policy, infrastructure and corporate ambition work together to drive rapid innovation.

“The private sector in the UAE is not only adopting emerging technologies but is deploying them with a level of confidence and scale that sets the country apart as a global benchmark in digital trade development.”

With national strategies prioritising digital transformation and the private sector embracing cloud, artificial intelligence, digital assets and automation, the UAE continues to deepen its position as an international hub for technology-enabled trade.

The bank added that the country’s leadership in digital adoption, regulatory alignment and cross-border connectivity reinforces its central role in shaping the future landscape of digitally-enabled global commerce.