Optimizing UAE Food Supply Chain Management : Leveraging Fuzzy AHP for Strategic Selection of Optimal Blockchain Platforms

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates faces significant challenges in food security due to heavy reliance on imported food and vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Blockchain offers decentralized, immutable solutions to improve food supply chain transparency, traceability, and quality assurance. This research focuses on developing a decision-making framework using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process to select the optimal blockchain platform tailored to the UAE context. The study reviews blockchain's fundamental components and applications, highlighting its transformative potential in supply chain management. Methodologically, Fuzzy AHP evaluates criteria like technical feasibility, security, regulatory compliance, and cost-effectiveness, prioritizing factors crucial for UAE's food supply chain. Interviews were conducted with 15 experts and stakeholders in the UAE's food supply chain. Results emphasize technical factors such as platform usability, interoperability, and consensus mechanisms as pivotal in platform selection. This study underscores blockchain's potential to enhance transparency, reduce inefficiencies, and build trust in UAE's food supply chain, offering a structured approach for decision-makers to navigate adoption challenges effectively. The theoretical contribution lies in providing a structured approach for decision-makers to navigate the complexities of blockchain adoption in food supply chain management, addressing both technological feasibility and regulatory challenges.