Dubai Launches Tradex B2B Marketplace with AED 1B Backing to Transform Trade

Malaz Madani

Last updated 25-09-2025

3 min

Dubai unveiled Tradex, a digital B2B marketplace, easing cross-border trade complexities.

Initiated with a hefty AED 1 billion investment, it targets the UAE–Iraq trade corridor.

Tradex promotes greater regional integration, aligning with Dubai's long-term global commerce goals.

It offers an all-in-one solution for SMEs, integrating financing, compliance checks, and customs clearance.

Future expansion aims at wider Middle Eastern corridors and eventually global markets.

Dubai has just seen the curtain lifted on Tradex, a digital B2B marketplace built to make cross-border trade less of a faff and more of a smooth ride. Backed by a hefty AED 1 billion investment, it’s kicking off with the UAE–Iraq trade corridor—a route forecasted to hit around AED 243 billion (USD 66 billion) by 2030. Not small change, is it?

The launch couldn’t have been more on-brand for Dubai, a city that already oversees roughly AED 3 trillion (USD 816 billion) in annual non-oil trade. It’s not only oil barrels rolling out of the ports either. Around forty per cent of the UAE’s exports are electronics, cars, FMCG goods, textiles, and specialist instruments. Tradex has its eyes firmly set on helping these sectors move even faster and smoother across borders.

At the launch ceremony, the guest list was a who’s who of ambassadors, senior officials and industry leaders—all seemingly in agreement that this platform isn’t just a flashy tech move. It’s pitched as a structural shift towards greater regional integration. H.E. Dr. Abdulla Mohammed Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, described Tradex as an example of Dubai’s commitment to nurturing innovative ventures that strengthen both regional links and global commerce. Spot on in terms of Dubai’s long-term vision.

Tradex itself is the flagship play of GlobalX Group, a UAE-based holding company dabbling in everything from e-commerce to digital payments. By anchoring themselves in Dubai—the MENA region’s de facto trade nerve centre—they’re betting on connecting businesses worldwide through one comprehensive platform.

Bahaa Abdul Hadi, Managing Partner of Tradex and also Chairman of Qi Card, called it a milestone moment for the company and its partners. He highlighted that the platform isn’t just about ticking the box of digitalisation; it’s about making exports, imports and payments less of a headache for SMEs and larger firms alike. He also flagged the compliance framework put in place to keep everything above board—because, without trust in these systems, it’s all just smoke and mirrors.

What sets Tradex apart, at least on paper, is how it brings so many moving parts under one roof: financing, compliance checks, shipping, customs clearance, merchant engagement, payments, right down to settlement banking. I reckon this one-stop-shop approach might actually save businesses more time than they’d dare hope—it’s usually a right hassle dealing with such fragmented services.

For now, the spotlight is on UAE–Iraq commerce, but the whispered plan is expansion into other trade corridors across the Middle East and eventually global markets. And believe it or not, from chatting with founders at Arageek events, I’ve seen how much startups crave exactly this sort of integrated solution. It gives them a fairer shot at regional growth, not just survival.

Of course, only time will tell whether Tradex’s digital promise materialises in day-to-day logistics—systems this ambitious often get weighed down in practicaI snags. But if it works as advertised, businesses might finally breathe a little easier when dealing with the spaghetti of cross-border trade. And for that alone, many will be chuffed to bits.

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