The Dubai AI Festival 2025 is proud to welcome Nora Dihel, Senior Trade Economist at the World Bank, as a featured speaker. With over 20 years of experience advising governments and businesses across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, Dihel brings unmatched insight into how artificial intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping global trade and economic resilience.
Her presence at the festival highlights the growing global focus on AI as a driver of smarter, more inclusive, and more adaptive trade systems.
Championing AI-Driven Trade Policy and Digital Inclusion
Currently based in Bangkok, Nora Dihel specializes in:
- Trade facilitation and digital trade transformation
- AI-enabled policy innovation and automation in trade regulation
- Cross-border payment systems and financial inclusion in emerging economies
- Supply chain resilience and trade cost reduction through digital tools
With a Doctorate in International Economics from Helmut Schmidt University, Dihel has previously held key roles at the OECD, the European Commission, and now the World Bank, where she works closely with public and private sector stakeholders to modernize and future-proof trade ecosystems.
A Global Perspective from the Frontlines of Trade Innovation
Having lived and worked across four continents, Dihel brings a pragmatic, real-world perspective to policy design. Her work has influenced trade reforms in low- and middle-income countries, helping:
- Leverage AI and digital platforms to simplify border processes
- Expand access to digital financial services for small exporters and SMEs
- Develop regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with trust and interoperability
- Strengthen value chains through data-driven risk management and transparency
She consistently emphasizes the need to align technology with development goals, and to ensure AI is inclusive, human-centric, and globally coordinated.
Keynote at Dubai AI Festival 2025: “Smart Trade – Harnessing AI to Transform Global Value Chains”
At the Dubai AI Festival 2025, Nora Dihel will deliver a keynote titled:
“Smart Trade: Harnessing AI to Transform Global Value Chains.”
Her session will explore:
- How AI can reduce trade costs and improve access to finance, especially for SMEs
- The role of digital policy tools in building resilient and agile trade networks
- Strategies for equitable and interoperable cross-border AI infrastructure
- Lessons from global case studies in digital trade integration and regulatory innovation
This keynote is essential for policy leaders, trade economists, regulators, and AI developers working at the nexus of digital transformation and global commerce.
Nora Dihel’s participation at the Dubai AI Festival 2025 underscores the vital role of AI in enabling smarter trade, driving economic inclusion, and fostering global cooperation in an era of complex disruption and opportunity.
