The National Competitiveness Center (NCC), in partnership with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), convened a high-level international workshop in Vienna from December 18 to 19.
Held within the framework of cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, the workshop examined emerging issues in digital trade, artificial intelligence, and their associated legal and regulatory frameworks amid rapid developments in international commercial law.
Global Expertise
The two-day event brought together 39 senior government officials representing 25 entities, led by Minister of Commerce and NCC Board Chairman Majid Al-Kassabi, Vice Minister of Commerce and NCC CEO Dr. Eiman Al-Mutairi, Saudi Ambassador to Austria Dr. Abdullah Tawlah, and UNCITRAL Secretary Anna Joubin-Bret.
The workshop also featured 18 international experts from UN organizations, leading universities, and specialized global institutions and companies in law, technology, and trade, reflecting the growing global importance of the topics discussed.
Key Trade Transformations
The workshop included seven specialized sessions covering a broad range of issues shaping the future of international trade. Discussions explored the role of AI in enhancing supply chains and e-commerce, the legal frameworks governing cross-border digital platforms, and the impact of fintech and tokenization on traditional trade processes.
Additional sessions addressed carbon markets and ESG compliance, UNCITRAL’s role in the UN@80 Initiative, and the implications of trade law reform in Saudi Arabia. The program concluded with a session on preparations for joining the NCD Convention and the importance of UNCITRAL’s Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) in enabling secure digital trade.
The workshop supports NCC’s ongoing efforts to incorporate digital transformation and artificial intelligence into economic and regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s competitiveness and business environment.
It also underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to aligning its legislative and regulatory frameworks with global developments in digital trade, reinforcing integration with the international legal and commercial ecosystem as part of its strategic partnership with the United Nations.
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