event

3rd Arab Postal Leaders Forum 2026

 

Theme:
Transforming Postal Supply Chains and Digital Trade Networks for an E-Commerce Driven Future

Jun
23

Tuesday, 23 June to Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Rabat, Kingdom of Morocoo

Day 1: Strategy & Market Transformation

8:30 – 9:00: Registration & Networking

9:00 – 9:55: Official opening ceremony
 

  • Keynote address by H.E. Mr Ryad Mezzour, Minister, Ministry of Industry and Commerce

  • Welcome remarks by Mr Amin Benjelloun Touimi, Director General of Poste Maroc

  • Remarks by Mr Masahiko Metoki, Director General, UPU International Bureau (remotely)

  • Issuance ceremony of a Joint Postal Stamp between Morocco and Mauritania

  • Signing cooperation agreement between Morocco and Somalia


9:55 – 10:00: Group photo

10:00 – 10:10: Coffee Break

10:10 – 10:30: Presentation on "3rd Arab Postal Leaders' Forum: A flagship platform to translate regional priorities into action, partnerships and investments"
 

  • Speaker: Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau


10:30 – 10:50: Opening keynote on "The New Geography of Global Trade: How E-Commerce Is Reshaping Supply Chains"

Objective: Provide a global outlook on how e-commerce growth and digital trade platforms are reshaping logistics networks and how these trends are shaping the Arab region.
 

  • Speaker: Mr Andre Pharand, CEO, Pharand Advisors


Key discussion points:
 

  • The Explosion of Global E-Commerce and Its Impact on Logistics Networks

  • The Shift from Globalized Supply Chains to Regionalized Trade Corridors

  • Digital Platforms and Marketplaces as the New Drivers of Global Trade


10:50 – 12:00: Panel 1 on "Reinventing Postal Networks for the E-commerce Economy"

Objective: Parcel-centric logistics networks; automation and infrastructure modernization; partnerships with e-commerce platforms.

Speakers:
 

  • Mr Amin Benjelloun Touimi, Director General of Poste Maroc

  • Mr Hassan Elsayed, CEO, Qatar Postal Services Company

  • Mr Sayed Taman, Deputy Chairperson of Egypt Post


Moderator: Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau


Key discussion points:
 

  • Network redesign from mail-dominated systems to parcel and logistics ecosystems

  • Digitalization, automation and infrastructure modernization priorities

  • Build-versus-partner choices with marketplaces, integrators and logistics technology providers

  • How operators can compete without losing the trust and reach of the public postal mandate


12:00 – 12:40: Presentation on “The UPU global Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) solution and support for UPU hybrid models for commercial flows”
 
  • Speaker: Mr Lati Matata, Director of Postal Technology Center, UPU International Bureau

12:40 – 13:40:  Networking Lunch

13:40 – 14:50: Panel 2 on "Unlocking Cross-Border E-Commerce in the Arab Region"

Objective: To explore how e-commerce is reshaping postal supply chains and how postal operators can become stronger enablers of MSME exports, trade inclusion and low-friction cross-border fulfilment.

Speakers:
 

  • Ms Hanadi Al Tayyeb, director general, Jordan Post

  • Mr Nael Adwan, Secretary General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), Jordan

  • Mr Tadas Drunga, Head of International Business Development, Omniva

  • Ms Hannah Huegel, GM of EMEA and CPO at Zonos

  • Mr Jan Bojnansky, Postal Supply Chain Coordinator, UPU International Bureau.

Moderator: Mr Juan Moroni, Digital Transformation and Policy Expert, UPU International Bureau


Key discussion points:
 

  • De minimis shifts and their implications for postal business models

  • Trade inclusion pathways for MSMEs, especially through simplified postal export services

  • Electronic advance data, delivery-duty-paid models and trusted cross-border workflows

  • Security, risk management and handling of illicit, dangerous or counterfeit goods


14:50 – 15:05: Solutions to address the challenges discussed

15:05 – 16:15: Panel 3 on "AI, Data and the Future of Logistics Intelligence"

Objective: To discuss how data, artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve postal decision-making, demand planning, route optimization, operational visibility and customer experience.

Speakers:
 

  • Mr Yassine Friaa, President and CEO of the National Postal Service, Tunisia

  • Ms Emily Bennett, Head Digital Public Solutions, UNICC

  • Mr Omar K. Radaideh, Lead Analyst - MENA GSMA

  • Mr Walter Trezek, Chair of the UPU Consultative Committee

Moderator: Mr Lati Matata, Director of Postal Technology Center, UPU International Bureau

Key discussion points:
 

  • Forecasting and demand sensing for volatile parcel flows

  • AI-enabled customer engagement, route planning and exception management

  • How to build operational visibility across fragmented physical and digital supply chain assets

  • ​Cyber resilience, governance and responsible use of operational and customer data
​
16:15 – 16:20: Day 1 wrap-up & reflections

19:00 – 21:00: Gala dinner hosted by Poste Maroc


Day 2: Operations, Innovation and Investment

9:00 – 9:10: Day opening and recap

9:10 – 10:20: Panel 4 on "Winning the last mile: The battle for the Customer"

Objective: To translate strategy into service design by focusing on the customer-facing layers of the digital postal supply chain: addressing, service access, last mile, returns and inclusive digital services.

Speakers:
 

  • Mr Hassan Elsayed, CEO, Qatar Postal Services Company

  • Mr Jean-Paul Forceville, POC Chair, Director of European and International Relations, La Poste, France

  • Mr Graeme Lee, Postal Sector Policy, Regulation and Strategy Consultant

​Moderator: Mr Andre Pharand, CEO, Pharand Advisors


Key discussion points:
 

  • Digital addressing, geolocation and trusted delivery data

  • Parcel lockers, PUDO, returns ecosystems and flexible last-mile models

  • Inclusive customer journeys for citizens, MSMEs and underserved communities

  • How posts can package logistics, payments and government-linked services into one coherent offer
     

10:20 – 10:35: Solutions to address the challenges discussed

10:35 – 11:45: Panel 5 Operations Panel on "Building the Arab region's next logistics super-network"

Objective: To explore how postal operators, logistics providers and policymakers can collaborate to develop an integrated regional logistics network that strengthens trade connectivity, accelerates e-commerce growth and positions the Arab region as a strategic logistics bridge between Asia, Europe and Africa.

Speakers:
 

  • Mr Amin Benjelloun Touimi, Director General of Poste Maroc

  • Mr Sulaiman Al Kharusi, Director of Policies and Governance, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Oman

  • Mr Vincenzo Aurelio, Chair of the Board of Directors Postal Union for the Mediterranean - PUMed

  • Mr Santosh Gopal, Chair of the UPU Ready-to-Market Interoperability Group

  • Mr Jan Bojnansky, Postal Supply Chain Coordinator, UPU International Bureau

Moderator: Mr Graeme Lee, Postal Sector Policy, Regulation and Strategy Consultant

Key discussion points:
 

  • Developing Regional Logistics Corridors

  • Strategic Role of Airline Cargo Partnerships

  • Building Regional Logistics Hubs and Fulfilment Ecosystems

  • Interoperability Between Postal and Logistics Networks

  • Enabling Policy and Investment Frameworks

  • From National Networks to a Regional Logistics Ecosystem


11:45 – 12:00: Solutions to address the challenges dicussed

12:00 – 13:10: Coffee break

13:10 – 14:20: Panel 6 on "Financing the next generation of logistics infrastructure"

Obejctive: To explore how postal operators and governments can fund modernization across infrastructure, data systems, platforms, automation and digital public-service layers.

Speakers:
 

  • Mr Alioune Ould Issa, Director General, MauriPost, Mauritania

  • Mr Yann Pitrou, Government Bid Director, Eutelsat

  • Mr Khaled Al Homsi, Director General of the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority

  • Mr Sami Aloui, Investment Manager, General Directorate of Digital Economy, Investment and Statistics - Ministry of Communication Technologies, Tunisia

  • Mr Graeme Lee, Postal Sector Policy, Regulation and Strategy Consultant

Moderator: Mr Juan Moroni, Digital Transformation and Policy Expert, UPU International Bureau

Key discussion points:
 

  • How to make postal digitalization programs more bankable and investment-ready

  • Blended finance, concessionary finance and private-capital options for logistics and digital infrastructure

  • Sequencing investment between platforms, operations, customer touchpoints and cross-border enablement

  • How to demonstrate ROI when reforms also serve inclusion, resilience and public-service goals

14:20 – 14:35: Institutional presentation consultative committee secretary

14:50 – 15:00: Closing ceremony
 

  • Recommendations and key takeaways of the forum: Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau

  • Closing remarks: Mr Amin Benjelloun Touimi, Director General of Poste Maroc


15:00 – 16:00: Networking lunch

16:00: Visit to Mausoleum of Mohammed V