Vienna, December 19, 2025
In light of ongoing developments in international commercial law, the National Competitiveness Center, in collaboration with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), organized a high-level international workshop in Vienna from December 18 – 19. The two-day workshop, held within the framework of collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, focused on digital trade, AI, and their legislative and regulatory frameworks.
The workshop brought together 39 government senior officials representing 25 government entities, led by His Excellency Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the National Competitiveness Center, Her Excellency Dr. Eiman Al-Mutairi, Vice Minister of Commerce and CEO of the NCC, Dr. Abdullah Tawlah, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Austria, and Mrs. Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of UNCITRAL. The event also featured the participation of 18 international experts from United Nations organizations, leading global universities, and specialized international institutions and companies in law, technology, and trade, underscoring the importance of the topics discussed and their growing impact on the future of doing business globally.
The workshop supports the National Competitiveness Center's efforts to factor in the growing impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on e-commerce and domestic and international trade when advancing economic and development reforms to strengthen the Kingdom's competitiveness and business environment.
The workshop featured seven specialized sessions. The first session addressed AI in international trade, focusing on its role in improving supply chain efficiency, logistics operations, and facilitating e-commerce. Speakers included Ms. Judith Knieper, Legal Officer & Secretariat of UNCITRAL, Dr. Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, Professor of Commercial Law at Carlos III University of Madrid, and Mr. Martin Horman, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Microsoft.
The second session, titled 'Digital platforms for cross-border trade,' featured contributions from Ms. Christiane Wendehorst, Professor of Civil Law at the University of Vienna, Dr. Hou Peng from the Chinese Society of Private International Law, and Mr. Florent Geelhand De Merxem, Secretariat of UNCITRAL. The speakers highlighted the legal and regulatory framework governing trade conducted through digital platforms, as well as the key challenges and opportunities these platforms pose for international trade, particularly with respect to the legal and practical aspects of cross-border contract and transaction enforcement.
The third session, Innovation in international trade; fintech and tokenization, explored how financial technology and tokenization are reshaping traditional trade processes. Participants included Ms. Clara Guerra, Director of the Office for Financial Market Innovation and Digitalization (SFID) of Liechtenstein, Mr. André Casterman, Chair of the Fintech Committee of the International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA), and Mr. Luca Castellani, Secretariat of UNCITRAL.
The fourth session, titled 'Carbon Markets,' focused on ESG compliance and the international legal framework. Speakers included Ms. Gérardine Goh Escolar, Deputy Secretary-General at the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH); Mr. Ulrich Schroeter, Professor of Law at the University of Basel; and Mr. Neale Bergman, Secretariat of UNCITRAL. The session explored the challenges and opportunities of integrating sustainability and environmental responsibility into international trade.
The fifth session reviewed UNCITRAL's perspective on the UN@80 Initiative, during which Mrs. Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of UNCITRAL, highlighted the Commission's efforts and its role in the United Nations reform process on the occasion of its eightieth anniversary.
The sixth session was dedicated to assessing the impact of trade law reform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Speakers included Dr. Jenifer Varzaly, Assistant Professor in Commercial and Corporate Law, Mr. Urs Zollinger from King Zollinger & Co. Advisory Services, and Ms. Monica Canafoglia, Secretariat of UNCITRAL.
The workshop concluded with a session on preparations for joining the NCD Convention, emphasizing the importance of UNCITRAL MLETR and its role in supporting secure and reliable digital trade.
The high-level workshop is part of the National Competitiveness Center's ongoing efforts to support the development of legislative and regulatory frameworks for trade that align with global digital transformations. It also aims to enhance the competitiveness of the national economy and reinforce alignment with the international legal and commercial ecosystem, as part of the strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations.
