UAE stresses need to protect supply chains, trade and energy flows for global stability

At an Arria Formula meeting in New York, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar warned that threats to maritime routes and energy supplies risk food security and international order.

UAE calls for secure supply chains to safeguard peace and prosperity

NEW YORK, 21 September 2026 – Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, told an Arria Formula meeting on 17 September that securing supply chains, international trade and energy flows is essential to promoting peace and security.

The session, titled “Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment”, was chaired by Dr Abdullatif Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, ahead of the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Minister of State Al Marar highlighted the knock‑on effects of disruptions to maritime and energy routes, saying they pose direct threats to food security and the availability of fertilisers needed for agriculture. He referenced an estimate from the World Food Programme that up to 45 million people could be pushed into acute food insecurity should such disruptions persist.

Grounding his remarks in international law, the minister underlined the relevance of the Law of the Sea and the concept of state sovereignty. He warned that failure to protect trade and energy supply chains would “undermine the rules and principles underpinning international law and the established norms governing relations between states.”

The UAE’s intervention framed maritime security and the uninterrupted movement of goods as matters of both economic resilience and humanitarian concern, particularly for countries of the Global South that are disproportionately affected by supply shocks.

In closing, Minister of State Al Marar reiterated the UAE’s support for diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, de‑escalate conflicts and foster stability for the benefit of all people in the region. His remarks reflect a continued federal focus on the protection of critical infrastructure and the peaceful resolution of disputes that threaten vital trade and energy corridors.

Source: WAM