World Governments Summit 2026: UAE Leaders Highlight National Resilience And AI-driven Development

Senior UAE leaders used the final day of the World Governments Summit 2026 to frame national resilience as the core of future governance, pairing security and social unity with economic diversification and artificial intelligence industrialisation. In a keynote session titled ‘Unbreakable Fortress’, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan detailed how leadership strategy, public trust and advanced industry support the UAE’s development model and international standing.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the address, joined by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Saqr Ghobash, alongside ministers and senior officials. The discussion aligned with the summit’s theme, ‘Shaping Future Governments’, and linked the UAE’s internal cohesion, humanitarian role and technology agenda with global competitiveness, investor confidence and the country’s growing non-oil economic profile.

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H.H. Sheikh Saif stressed that real power does not come from physical assets alone but from people, leadership awareness and societal solidarity. He described the UAE as a "national fortress" shaped by trust between government and citizens, noting that residents protect the country while the state safeguards their welfare, creating what was characterised as a rare historic model of mutual responsibility.

Building on that theme, H.H. Sheikh Saif credited the UAE’s founding leaders for establishing a resilient framework that later generations expanded. He linked national resilience to clear strategic direction from current leadership, arguing that cohesion, stability and strong institutions underpin economic performance, humanitarian outreach and the ability to attract skilled individuals and capital from abroad.

H.H. Sheikh Saif said: "Under the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the country has transformed from a resource-based economy into a system-driven nation built on diversified energy resources, sovereign supply chains, and a non-oil economy that surpassed $1 trillion five years ahead of schedule." This transformation was presented as central to the UAE’s long-term security.

To illustrate how industry shapes national reputation, His Highness pointed to countries such as Switzerland, Germany and China. He said: "China overcame historic challenges, including the so-called ‘century of humiliation,’ and through reform, technological progress, and economic openness, has grown to account for nearly one-third of global manufacturing output." The example was used to underline how industrial capacity influences soft power and geopolitical weight.

H.H. Sheikh Saif highlighted that the UAE now leads global rankings in 264 competitiveness indicators, supported by strong performance in energy and advanced technologies. He noted that the UAE holds first place worldwide in green hydrogen competitiveness, ranks fourth in concentrated solar power and stands 13th in nuclear energy production, reflecting a portfolio of diversified, largely clean energy assets supporting wider economic sectors.

UAE national resilience, trade and AI ecosystem

Industrial and logistics expansion formed another key area of the address. H.H. Sheikh Saif said the UAE manages over 460 ports and operational units in more than 70 countries. These are run through empowerment-focused models with local workforces, giving the country influence across global supply chains while reinforcing its domestic logistics capabilities and export reach.

Non-oil foreign trade was described as a pillar of this model. According to His Highness, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade increased by 26 per cent in a single year to exceed $1 trillion, with exports reaching more than 180 markets. He said this level of diversification reduces exposure to single sectors, strengthens resilience and supports national income stability.

Artificial intelligence featured as a strategic industry within this broader economic shift. H.H. Sheikh Saif said that robust AI ecosystems rest on six elements: energy, infrastructure, semiconductor chips, models, applications and trust. He stated: "The UAE has moved beyond AI adoption to AI industrialisation through an integrated ecosystem powered by clean energy, advanced chips, infrastructure and applications, placing the country at the forefront of global AI adoption rankings."

Trust was presented as the connecting theme between national security, AI and institutional strength. H.H. Sheikh Saif said the UAE ranks among the top five countries globally in the Edelman Trust Barometer’s Global Trust Index and holds first place worldwide for public trust in government institutions. This standing was linked to policy predictability, safety and transparent governance frameworks.

Investor behaviour was used to demonstrate the economic effect of that trust. H.H. Sheikh Saif said that 9,800 millionaires moved to the UAE within one year, equal to about 26 millionaires each day. This brought the total number of millionaires in the country to more than 240,000, with combined wealth exceeding $780 billion, which he associated with stability, security and an attractive investment climate.

The session also stressed humanitarian and peace-building work as part of the UAE’s national resilience profile. His Highness said the UAE provided 46 per cent of global aid to Gaza, worth $3 billion, and supported medical treatment for over 78,000 patients. Six desalination plants were also established, producing two million gallons of water daily, alongside broader assistance programmes active in more than 30 countries.

Educational support from regional partners was acknowledged as well. H.H. Sheikh Saif praised Kuwait’s role in the UAE’s educational development and expressed thanks to the Kuwaiti leadership and people. He then highlighted the UAE’s ‘Year of Family 2026’ initiative, stating that family remains the foundation of national identity and that more than 21 institutions are engaged in programmes to reinforce social cohesion.

A technical presentation supplemented the keynote, tracking the UAE’s AI industrial ecosystem from early renewable projects to present initiatives. It referenced Masdar’s launch in 2006 and the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, which now runs four reactors producing six gigawatts of clean energy. The session also outlined the Stargate project, a five-gigawatt AI campus outside the United States, with quarterly expansion capacity forecast between 200 and 500 megawatts.

The same presentation detailed the importance of advanced semiconductor chips for data centres and large language models and described ongoing work with international research institutions and technology firms to create national AI models. H.H. Sheikh Saif said these combined efforts would give the UAE the capability to generate up to 100 trillion AI computing units per day in the future, supporting the country’s resilience-focused development strategy.

With inputs from WAM