Dubai CommerCity signs accords to boost AI adoption in free zone
- 7 hours ago
Dubai CommerCity (DCC), the region’s first free zone dedicated to digital commerce, and a joint venture between the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) and Wasl Properties, announced strategic partnerships with qeen.ai, a leading provider of agentic AI solutions for e-commerce, with the aim of driving e-commerce growth in the UAE, and Portmind, an AI solutions company that empowers international trade businesses by enhancing efficiency through AI technologies.
These collaborations were announced during Dubai AI Week, taking place from 21-25 April 2025, and held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation.
The partnership with qeen.ai brings together Dubai CommerCity’s advanced digital commerce infrastructure and qeen.ai’s AI capabilities to establish a future-focused ecosystem that supports the growth of e-commerce businesses. By combining expertise in intelligent automation, AI-driven customer experience management and streamlined digital sales, the collaboration is designed to accelerate digital transformation for digital commerce SMEs and high-growth brands.
Commenting on the partnership with qeen.ae, Mitch Bittermann, Senior Vice President - Commercial at Dubai CommerCity, said: “Our partnership with qeen.ai reflects Dubai CommerCity’s commitment to supporting the emirate’s vision to become a global hub for artificial intelligence and a leader in shaping the future of digital economies, in line with the ambitions of Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33). By integrating intelligent automation and agentic AI solutions into our ecosystem, we are enhancing the competitiveness of e-commerce businesses and contributing to a thriving AI-driven economy that attracts global talent and investment.”
For her part, Dina Alsamhan, Co-founder & CBO of qeen.ai stated: “Partnering with Dubai CommerCity is a strategic step in advancing the UAE’s digital commerce infrastructure. DCC enables market access and qeen.ai provides the intelligence layer that drives next-level performance. Our AI agents give SMEs the tools to automate, localize, and optimize their operations, enabling them to scale efficiently and compete globally. With this partnership, we’re reshaping how e-commerce is done in the region, ensuring SMEs can scale efficiently and maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world.”
Additionally, through the integration of Portmind’s AI-powered Sail platform, businesses operating within Dubai CommerCity will benefit from a more agile, efficient, and compliant customs process, reinforcing the free zone’s commitment to innovation, ease of doing business, and smart trade enablement. By automating key processes related to shipping and customs documentation, including data collection, validation, classification, and regulatory compliance, DCC companies will benefit from faster customs clearance, real-time shipment visibility, and reduced operational overhead.
Commenting on the partnership with Portmind, Abdulrahman Shaheen, Senior Vice President of Operations at Dubai CommerCity, said: “Dubai CommerCity’s partnership with Portmind reflects our commitment to creating a smarter, faster, and more agile business environment for companies of all sizes. Our aim is to enable businesses to thrive by adopting intelligent solutions that simplify and future-proof trade operations, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a world-class innovation hub. This partnership also aligns with the priorities of Dubai AI Week to accelerate the responsible development of transformative technologies for the benefit of societies and economies.”
Julien Gurunlian, Founder and CEO of Portmind, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Dubai CommerCity to introduce AI-driven innovation into international trade. Our Sail platform is designed to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce friction in cross-border operations. This partnership allows us to enable smarter, faster customs workflows that drive compliance, reduce costs, and enhance trade transparency—benefiting businesses across the DCC ecosystem.”
With the UAE’s e-commerce market expected to exceed Dhs48.8 billion by 2028, the partnerships support national efforts to strengthen the digital economy and position Dubai as a leading hub for next-generation trade and technology.
These partnerships are in line with the UAE’s strategic vision for economic diversification and digital transformation, reinforcing Dubai CommerCity’s commitment to accelerating innovation and empowering the growth of the e-commerce sector, as well as becoming a next-generation free zone driven by innovation, agility, and digital transformation.
In December 2024, Dubai CommerCity announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aramex and QuikBot Technologies, to launch the trial run of QuikBot’s Autonomous Final-Mile Delivery (AFMD) Platform-as-a-service at DCC.
WAM