Tarek Sultan

Tarek Sultan is the Vice Chairman of Agility. Sultan assumed leadership of the company in 1997 and spearheaded the company’s growth into a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure and innovation, with 45,000+ employees and a footprint in six continents.

Sultan is a member of the Board of Directors of DSV A/S, a top three global freight forwarder, and sits on the World Trade Organization’s Business Advisory Group, created in 2023 to share the views of businesses on trade and regulation.

Sultan is an active supporter of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is a member of the WEF’s International Business Council, which brings together 120 business leaders to represent global business from all industries. He is also a Steward of the WEF’s Stewardship Board of the Platform on Shaping the Future of Mobility and a Governor of the World Economic Forum’s Supply Chain & Transport Industry Community.

Before taking on his leadership role at Agility, Mr. Sultan was the managing director of New York Associates, a regional investment banking services provider and an associate with Southport Partners, a U.S.-based corporate finance advisory firm specializing in the technology sector. Sultan has also previously served as advisor to the Singapore Economic Development Board, sat on Wharton’s International Advisory Council, and served as a member of the Board of Directors of Gulf Bank and Burgan Bank.

Sultan holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Economics from Williams College.

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

14:10

Emerging Economies ICC Hall A 14:10 - 14:40

Strengthening resilience in emerging economies: ensuring infrastructure resilience and economic continuity

Emerging economies are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions that strain infrastructure systems, destabilise supply chains, and undermine long-term growth. As global risks intensify, resilience is becoming a central pillar of sustainable development, requiring forward-looking investments to protect both physical assets and economic continuity. Many emerging markets face weak infrastructure and limited redundancy that heighten exposure to shocks - whether environmental, economic, or logistical. The infrastructure investment gap in these economies now exceeds $450 billion annually, creating urgent pressure to build systems that are both climate-aware and disruption-ready. Compounding this challenge, over 90% of global supply chain leaders report experiencing disruptions in the past year, with nearly 60% citing infrastructure failures or weather-related impacts as contributing factors. Tackling these vulnerabilities requires rethinking infrastructure design, strengthening logistics networks, and embedding flexibility into energy, transport, and industrial systems. Emerging economies must prioritise resilience through smarter infrastructure investment, economic diversification, and coordinated planning across public and private sectors.

Attendee insights:

Gain insight into how emerging economies are building resilience through infrastructure investment, supply chain protection, and strategic planning to withstand escalating disruptions and sustain economic momentum.