6 August 2026
Geopolitical tensions have had a profound impact on businesses across the Middle East this year. From disrupted supply chains to rapidly changing market conditions, companies have had to adapt almost overnight. Our colleague Henk-Jan Bouwman in Dubai has experienced these challenges firsthand. In this special interview, he shares how the conflict has affected both business and daily life, the importance of strong customer relationships, and why teamwork and resilience have made all the difference.
“What I’m most proud of is how quickly our team adapted while continuing to support our customers.”
Henk-Jan Bouwman – Commercial Manager Middle-East
Henk-Jan, You have now been living in the Middle East for almost 7 years and have worked in the dairy industry for 15 years. When the conflict escalated, what was your honest first reaction? Did you think it would be a temporary disruption, or did you immediately realise how significant its impact could become?
“The conflict was building in the early months of this year; I did not expect it would lead to war on a regional scale. When the conflict actually broke out, the feeling was a bit of a shock. I initially did not expect it to spread to the UAE, nor throughout the entire region. Like many people, I expected the situation to stabilise within weeks. However, as the conflict spread across the region, it became clear that we were dealing with something very different. Every week brought new developments, and gradually we realised this would fundamentally change the way we operated, leading to a substantial impact on our business, our customers and our personal lives.
In terms of timing, I expected the situation to be temporary, perhaps lasting no more than a few months. Unfortunately, it is still ongoing and remains very unstable. When visiting and talking to partners across the region, we continue to see a tremendous business impact, particularly in terms of delivery options, lead times and supply chain-related costs.”
In your role, you are used to identifying risks and preparing for different scenarios. From both a commercial and operational perspective, what made this period so challenging?
“The initial days and weeks were the most turbulent from an operational standpoint. We had to identify where all our pending contracts were located, what would happen to them and how they would reach our partners in the region. Normally, you identify risks and build contingency plans around them. This time, however, the assumptions behind those plans kept changing. Routes that were available one week were no longer an option the next, freight costs changed rapidly and customer priorities shifted. Before one challenge had been resolved, another had already appeared.
Commercially, it turned out to be a very active period for us, because many of our partners wanted or needed to source material. The biggest challenge was identifying shipment options, understanding the corresponding costs and managing a situation that was constantly changing.”
In a situation where circumstances were changing almost every day, what are you most proud of when you look back at how your team responded?
“Looking back, what makes me proud of our team is the resilience and effort everyone has shown. We had to adapt quite a few times, did this quickly, and throughout the process we have always tried to keep up our service levels towards the customers in the region. Tasks that would normally take one conversation suddenly required five, every shipment seemed to need constant monitoring, and we spent far more time validating information and reassessing plans than we normally would.
It has been very rewarding to hear from customers that we have professionally guided them through this situation and continue to do so. Furthermore, it has been great working together with the wider Cefetra Dairy team. Throughout this period, I experienced a great amount of teamwork and support.”
Over the years, you have built strong relationships with customers across the region. How important were those relationships during this period of uncertainty? And how did they help you and your customers navigate the challenges together?
“The strength of the relationships which we have in the Middle East region was a crucial element to continue to do business. Throughout the past 3.5 years, we have been quite selective in terms of who we do business with and many of the relationships we have are based on trust and professionalism.
When the conflict broke out, we tried to be as supportive towards our customers as we could be and have tried to act swiftly and professionally. Thus far, this has gone relatively well and in many cases it has even strengthened partnerships we have.”