Global Future Councils To Hold Annual Meetings In UAE For Five Years

The UAE Government has agreed with the World Economic Forum to deepen their strategic knowledge partnership over the next five years. Under a new Memorandum of Understanding, Dubai will host the Global Future Councils annual meetings, aligning the emirate more closely with global efforts to address socio-economic risks and support resilient development models worldwide.

The understanding was signed during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which brought together government leaders, policymakers and specialists from many regions. The new phase confirms the shared intention to support joint work on future preparedness, policy design and innovation, at a time when governments face complex and connected challenges.

Global Future Councils remain a central pillar of the strategic partnership between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum. Outcomes from these councils later help shape the official programme of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, ensuring that discussions in Dubai feed directly into wider international economic and policy debates.

Over 17 years, this cooperation has created a large platform for knowledge exchange. Around 900 councils have been organised, involving more than 12,000 experts and officials from across the world. These discussions have focused on pressing questions for humanity, from economic shifts to societal resilience and the long-term direction of technological change.

Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said the long-term strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum reflects the UAE’s national vision. Guidance from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum supports efforts to build effective international partnerships that prioritise real outcomes and sustainable, comprehensive development.

Al Gergawi explained that the UAE Government sees itself as an active partner in forming the global future agenda through targeted, long-term initiatives. According to Al Gergawi, international cooperation is a core mechanism for designing future-ready policies, and collaboration with the World Economic Forum creates wider opportunities for policymaking and speeds up government innovation worldwide.

Al Gergawi also stated that the Global Future Councils provide an advanced framework for shared work between international experts and thinkers. The councils help develop government capacities to turn emerging challenges into opportunities for development and growth, while reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global centre for designing solutions that improve quality of life for societies.

The MoU was signed in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum; and Larry Fink, interim Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and co-founder, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock.

Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the UAE Government, while Maroun Kairouz, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum, signed on behalf of the organisation. Their signatures formalised the decision to hold the Global Future Councils annual meetings in Dubai during the coming five-year period.

Previous cooperation between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum established a sustainable global strategic partnership framework. This framework aims to explore future prospects, support alignment and cooperation, and strengthen joint efforts to meet shared objectives while developing broad future plans and strategies that reflect the interests of both sides.

The partnership covers several layers of collaboration, including joint initiatives, programmes and bilateral projects. It is designed to support the UAE’s national strategies and long-term visions, while also helping the World Economic Forum meet its goals through the use of innovation, technology, artificial intelligence and Fourth Industrial Revolution tools across key economic and social sectors.

With inputs from WAM