Dubai and DHL team up to power manufacturers’ exports

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has launched a new partnership with global logistics provider DHL that aims to make it easier and cheaper for manufacturers in the emirate to ship their products to international customers.

Strategic alliance to scale Dubai-made exports

According to published coverage on 13 October 2026, the collaboration between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and DHL focuses on strengthening the export capabilities of manufacturers based in the emirate. The partnership is positioned as part of Dubai’s wider plan to cement its role as a global manufacturing and trade hub while helping local companies expand beyond the United Arab Emirates.

The initiative is being delivered through DET’s Export Assistance Programme, a platform designed to support manufacturers and exporters with market access, trade promotion and practical tools to enter new geographies. Publicly available information shows that the agreement gives eligible members of the programme access to DHL’s global network, logistics expertise and a set of preferential services aimed at easing the path to overseas growth.

The partnership builds on a long history of cooperation between Dubai’s economic authorities and international logistics firms, and aligns with national industrial strategies that emphasise higher non-oil exports. It also reflects a broader push across the UAE to connect local production with new demand in markets across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Export Assistance Programme offers rates and route planning

Reports indicate that under the DET–DHL agreement, qualifying manufacturers can benefit from preferential international shipping rates, customised logistics solutions and end-to-end supply chain support. The package is intended to reduce both the financial and operational barriers that smaller and mid-sized producers often face when starting to export.

Support described in public information includes guidance on shipment planning, documentation, customs preparation and multimodal routing, using air, ocean and road freight where appropriate. By helping manufacturers match transport modes to their priorities for speed and cost, the programme is designed to minimise landed costs and shorten delivery times to key markets.

The cooperation also seeks to simplify repeat export activity, not just one-off consignments. With access to DHL’s global network and trade tools, Dubai-based producers are expected to be better equipped to build reliable shipping schedules, manage stock for overseas customers and handle returns, which are critical for sectors such as consumer goods, fashion, electronics and engineered products.

Workshops focus on export readiness and supply chain resilience

A first wave of activity under the partnership has centred on capacity-building. According to regional business media, more than 50 Dubai-based manufacturers recently joined a workshop led by DHL specialists that focused on international logistics, supply chain planning and export readiness.

The session covered topics such as mapping priority export markets, understanding delivery expectations, comparing service levels across shipping options and preparing for regulatory differences between destinations. Participants were given practical examples of how route choices, packaging decisions and documentation accuracy can affect transit times and total shipping costs.

Publicly available material on the workshop highlights its role in helping companies identify bottlenecks in their current logistics processes and explore how to use consolidated shipments, regional distribution hubs and digital tracking to make exports more resilient. By embedding these practices early, DET and DHL aim to help manufacturers avoid costly delays and strengthen their competitiveness when bidding for international contracts.

Supporting Dubai’s D33 economic agenda and industrial growth

The partnership is closely linked to the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33, which targets a substantial expansion of the emirate’s economic output by 2033, including a significant increase in manufacturing value added. DET’s public communications emphasise that promoting exports is a central lever for achieving these goals, alongside attracting new industrial investment and advanced production technologies.

Dubai’s manufacturing base, which spans food and beverage, metals, machinery, plastics, pharmaceuticals, electronics and other segments, already benefits from modern ports, airports and free zones. The new arrangement with DHL is presented as a way to translate that physical infrastructure into concrete export wins by pairing it with specialised logistics support and market access initiatives.

The effort also dovetails with wider UAE programmes that seek to scale up industrial capacity and boost non-oil exports under national manufacturing and trade strategies. By ensuring that smaller and medium-sized producers in Dubai can reach buyers abroad, the DET–DHL collaboration is expected to contribute to these federal ambitions while reinforcing the city’s standing as a preferred base for regional and global supply chains.

Broader ecosystem of export support for businesses

The DET–DHL initiative sits alongside other measures recently introduced in Dubai to help companies trade internationally. Publicly available information on DET’s programmes highlights offerings such as export finance facilitation, credit protection and digital platforms that connect manufacturers with buyers and distributors in overseas markets.

Within this ecosystem, DHL’s involvement adds specialist logistics capabilities to a mix that already includes financial institutions, technology providers and trade promotion entities. The intention is to create a more seamless journey from production in Dubai to delivery abroad, particularly for firms that may lack in-house trade departments.

While the partnership is still at an early stage, reports indicate that further workshops, sector-specific sessions and tailored advisory support are expected as more manufacturers enrol through the Export Assistance Programme. For travel and trade observers, the initiative is another signal that Dubai is not only positioning itself as a destination for visitors and investors, but also as a launchpad for export-oriented industry looking to reach customers across multiple regions.