The UAE and KSA snatched a spot in the top-five rankings of the Emerging Markets Logistics Index this year, according to Kuwaiti logistics giant Agility’s annual index report (pdf). Emerging Markets Logistics Index (pdf). The UAE — the highest-ranked country in the Middle East and North Africa region — sustained its spot as the third most attractive market for the second year in a row. Saudi Arabia came in fourth after rising two places in the ranking. China and India maintained their position in the top two spots in the ranking, while Myanmar and Venezuela are the lowest-ranked countries.

How it’s measured: The index surveys 830 executives from the logistics industry to assess the performance of 50 emerging markets based on four indicators: Domestic logistics potential, international logistics potential, business fundamentals, and digital readiness.

A closer look: The UAE and Saudi Arabia came in the top 10 emerging markets across all the indices. Qatar also ranked among the top 10 in all indicators except the international potential indicator. Regionally, in terms of Business Fundamentals, Jordan came in fourth, Qatar fifth, Bahrain sixth, and Oman eighth.

UAE recorded strong fundamentals across the board: The country ranked first globally for best business fundamentals and came in second – behind China – in the digital readiness category.

UAE + KSA leading the way in economic diversification: 28.8% of the respondents said the UAE observed the highest level of progress in diversifying over the past decade, while about 26% said the KSA had seen the most progress. The UAE’s non-oil economy accounted for 80% of the nation’s GDP in 2024, whereas KSA saw its non-oil activity rise 4.6% y-o-y the same year, Reuters reports.

Supply chain growth: Public-private partnerships play an important role in the UAE’s infrastructure development initiatives, finds the report, with over 155 transport projects valued at AED 25 bn in Abu Dhabi alone.

UAE is developing its digital infrastructure, by investing in late-stage start-ups in Abu Dhabi and cutting e-commerce operational costs — including storage, customs, and transportation costs — by 20%. That said, the UAE will have to balance its relationships with the US and China over the use of advanced technologies in the year ahead, Agility says.

And KSA is targeting logistics and warehousing: The Kingdom plans to develop 59 logistics centers across the nation, which are slated to boost access to key transportation and sea freight facilities, says Agility. This includes plans that are underway for a new link between Saudi and Bahrain, dubbed the King Hamad Causeway, and a USD 266 mn Logistics Park in Dammam.

ICYMI- Saudi’s PIF is planning to boost its investments in local logistics and transport outfits by 60% by the end of this year.

Optimism is high for the GCC: The region “stands out as a beacon of stability” amid geopolitical turmoil in the region, Agility says. The myriad of events this year — the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the ongoing disruption to traffic in the Red Sea, and Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon — have provided “economic headwinds” yet have not obstructed the region’s development trajectory. Economic growth is projected to rise in the short to medium term, with the World Bank economists forecasting a 4.2% growth in FY 2025/26, says the report.

Despite the GCC optimism, the majority of respondents — around 54% — forecast a global recession to hit in 2025, up by 4% from last year’s report and driven by global headwinds including "uncertainties, geopolitical tensions and upheaval in major economies.”

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