Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, the global leading trade enabler, shared his insider views on President Donald Trump’s trade policies during a conversation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos in Switzerland. Speaking on a Thursday panel, bin Sulayem pointed to the U.S. president’s choice of “fair trade” over the more traditional “free trade” mantra.
“People say he [Trump] wants to tax and raise duties. Trump wants fair trade. So he doesn’t want free trade,” bin Sulayem said. He demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the mechanics of Trump’s economic strategy: realigning trade relations to emphasize protection of domestic industry and balanced market access.
From bin Sulayem’s perspective, Trump perceives the American market as significantly open to international cooperation. “You want to work with the US and open your market. We don’t want to name which countries, but many countries are like that,” he explained, further noting Trump’s satisfaction with progress in India as a positive example.
The UAE, which was represented at the forum by high-ranking officials such as Thani Al Zeyoudi, the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, is no less eager to advance its relations with the United States. UAE officials of an equally free market-oriented country, according to a report by Khaleej Times, are optimistic about enhancing trade and space cooperation with the U.S.
Al Zeyoudi, in an interview with Bloomberg, was optimistic about the trend of growing international and foreign trade, saying that this would continue up until 2025: “At the end of the day, Trump is a businessman, and he wants to make sure deals are going to be made throughout the year,” said Al Zeyoudi, summing up in brief how Trump feels about making a deal when it comes to international trade.
Particularly, the general economic landscape of Trump has always been highly controversial when it comes to tariffs. His presidency has often opted for tariffs against key trading partners like Canada, Mexico, and China in order to reduce trade deficits and further strengthen the U.S. manufacturing sectors.
The active involvement of DP World, one of the world’s major port operators, provides a significant degree of real-world insight to the debate. A business that serves 75 nations and has more than 103,000 employees representing over 150 nationalities, DP World’s global presence encompasses some of the critical infrastructure on the planet that provides vital commerce.
In the discussions of panels, bin Sulayem’s comments gave a peek into the strategy-realignment moves required for global enterprises managing the dynamics of the ever-changing U.S. trade policy under Trump. Put differently, this aligns with a supposition that the Trump administration’s policies are not against global trade but are rather a call for an engagement that is more equitable to U.S. economic interests.
New generally, the WEF platform has once more held an important discussion on the future of international trade in Davos. Not only has this underscored the fact that one must always adapt to changing political and economic climates, but as nations now begin reviewing their trading strategies, so the discussions are seen to mark a process in which world leaders and executives are collectively moving toward more mutually beneficial trading relationships.
As much as the trade imbalance and tariffs discussions continue to create news, it is apparent that the principles of fair trade, as sought after by Trump, will gain weight among stakeholders in some quarters, and this could eventually lead to changing modes of management of international trade in the years ahead. Forums like this will further cement the already growing closer ties between countries like the UAE and the U.S and set the stage for innovative and economic growth.
Enlightenment is being forged for future engagements at a beak of opportunity by the sessions coordinated at this year’s WEF while businesses and governments converge on pathways to achieve sustainable and equitable commerce. This would drive a modern trade era characterized by fairness, reciprocity, and prosperity for all concerned.
