Dubai, UAE– October 2026: Dubai Humanitarian is participating in AidEx 2026, taking place on the 21stand 22nd of October 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, showcasing its unique humanitarian ecosystem and advancing dialogue on building more resilient, connected and diversified humanitarian supply chains.
Throughout the two-day exhibition, Dubai Humanitarian is engaging with humanitarian organisations, international partners and commercial companies, highlighting the opportunities available within the free zone and its role in supporting global humanitarian action. Its exhibition stand provides a platform to present the capabilities of its international community, explore opportunities for new members to join it and highlight its efforts for a Global Safety Net connecting humanitarian hubs, resources, data and logistics capabilities across regions.
As part of its participation, Dubai Humanitarian convened a high-level session titled “Sustaining Humanitarian Response Under Pressure: Partners in Motion for a Stronger Global Safety Net,” bringing together leading humanitarian organisations and global logistics providers to examine how international cooperation and more diversified supply chains can help sustain the delivery of life-saving assistance amid growing global disruptions.
In his welcoming remarks, Giuseppe Saba, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian, highlighted the importance of sustained international dialogue and cooperation in strengthening humanitarian preparedness: “Over the past years, we have consistently brought together humanitarian organisations with government and logistics partners to address the challenges facing global humanitarian supply chains. Through these ongoing exchanges, we have built a shared understanding that resilience requires more than responding to disruptions. It requires preparedness, diversified routes, connected systems and partnerships that can be mobilised when they are needed most. Our focus today is to continue translating this collective understanding into stronger coordination and practical solutions that keep humanitarian assistance moving, even under the most challenging circumstances,” said Saba.
Moderated by Benjamin Safari, Head of Supply Management Service at UNHCR, the panel featured Alex Marianelli, Chief Inter Agency Supply Chain Services at the World Food Programme; Cecile Terraz, Global Director, Humanitarian Services & Supply Chain Management at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Grete Kjaer, Global Key Client Manager, Aid & Relief at A.P. Moller – Maersk; Jean-Cédric Meeùs, Chief Global Transport & Logistics at UNICEF; and Sayed Harris, Manager – Cargo Global Commercial & Special Products at Emirates SkyCargo.
The discussion addressed the increasing pressure on humanitarian operations resulting from conflicts, maritime insecurity, airspace restrictions and disruptions to transport corridors, alongside the challenges of growing humanitarian needs and constrained funding. It also explored how humanitarian organisations and private-sector logistics providers can work more closely to anticipate disruptions, diversify transport routes, improve the visibility of humanitarian supplies and strengthen coordination across procurement, compliance and emergency logistics. Participants also examined the role of humanitarian hubs in supporting global preparedness, alongside opportunities for greater interoperability, information sharing and more efficient use of existing infrastructure and prepositioned resources.
Established in 2003 under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Humanitarian is an independent free-zone authority and the world’s largest humanitarian hub. It hosts over 80 members, including UN organisations, non-profit organisations and commercial companies, and maintains an average of USD 200 million in prepositioned humanitarian supplies to support rapid international emergency response.
