Government | Wednesday 17 January, 2018 4:32 pm |

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the sixth edition of the World Government Summit (WGS 2018) will run from February 11 to 13, 2018.

The upcoming edition of the Summit will bring pivotal changes to the structure of the event with a series of specialized international forums to explore vital future topics including artificial intelligence, space, youth and happiness, climate change and the Global Policy Platform. The event will also witness the announcement of new initiatives that translate the outcomes of WGS 2017 into action.

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of WGS, said: “In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Summit has become an incubator for the future and a catalyst to shape global trends. The event has evolved into a leader of change that supports the transformation of the results of scientific foresight into practical applications, solutions and tools that governments can use to improve the quality of life.”

He delivered the statement during the World Government Summit Dialogue in the presence of His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing and Vice Chairman of WGS, Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Managing Director of WGS. The main partners of the Summit and a host of officials, leaders and representatives of local and international media also attended the event.

Summit to convene 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and government, representatives of 16 international organizations and heads of leading international companies.

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi revealed that the Summit will convene 4,000 attendees from 140 countries, including the representatives of 16 international organizations, heads of state, prime ministers and dignitaries from the public and private sectors, in 120 interactive sessions with more than 130 speakers.

The list of participants includes presidents of international organizations, such as Jim Kim, President of the World Bank, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ángel Gurría, Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The private sector will be represented by senior executives from the world's leading companies, including Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group, Maurice Levy, Chairman of MSL Group, Sun Yafang, Chairwoman of Huawei, Adena Friedman, President of NASDAQ, and Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP.

Among the most prominent experts and scholars in attendance are futurist Michio Kaku, author and pioneer of the New Age movement; Deepak Chopra, political scientist; Professor Francis Fukuyama; co-founder of The Huffington Post Ariana Huffington; philosopher Malcolm Gladwell; and biotechnologist Craig Venter.

India, the guest of honor

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said: “India has been selected as this year’s guest of honor for its economic and development experience that deserves to be presented as a model for developing countries and emerging economies worldwide. The country has the world’s best executive heads in various fields, in addition to its scientific contributions and programs in the areas of space and technology.”

10 key topics

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi noted that the sixth edition of the World Government Summit will cover 10 topics: Future of Integrated Health and Biotechnology, Future Societies: Human Culture and the Human Development Journey in the Next Century, Climate Change, India's Development Experience, Nation-Branding, The Importance of Hope in Shaping a Better Future for Humanity, Cyber-States, Future of Global Governance, Future of Personalized Education, Cryptocurrencies and the Future of Financial Markets, and New Dimensions of Justice in the Age of Technology.

He explained that the agenda will address the topics in a broad manner while putting a spotlight on new concepts, such as justice in the age of technology, government branding, and hope and future prospects, stressing that the Summit seeks to keep pace with the latest trends and develop proactive solutions.

5 international forums under one umbrella

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi revealed that the most important change to the format of the Summit this year is its transformation into a comprehensive umbrella for five international forums addressing the challenges of the future vital sectors. The forums include the Global Policy Platform, the Arab Youth Forum, the Global A.I Governance Forum, the Space Settlement Forum and the Climate Change Forum.

Global Policy Platform

The summit will also see the launch of the Global Policy Platform that aims to improve people's lives through providing the tools necessary to achieve international consensus on the coordination of government policies for the benefit of communities.

Convening global officials and experts, the initiative aims to build on the great opportunities offered by WGS. The platform presents global policy challenges and opportunities, and features sessions hosting high-level experts:

• Great Global Innovation Forum, to be held by OECD  
• Dialogue on Future Changes in Education, to be held by UNESCO
• Meeting on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Formation of Economic Policy – a symposium on science, technology, innovation and stimulation of regional development, to be held by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
• Dialogue on Regulatory Technology for the Financial Sector, to be held by IMF
• Future of Trade and Globalization Forum, to be held by WTO  

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi added that the Summit will launch the Tech Monitor, an interactive smart virtual platform for observing and exploring future technology across the globe that showcases the industry's latest developments and enable their transformation into practical applications in the public and private sector. The platform aims to stimulate innovation, develop inventions and adapt them to human needs, and to introduce governments around the world to the latest achievements and ways of leveraging them to develop vital sectors.

The Tech Monitor will include approximately 180 future technologies that will influence government work in education, health, mobility, logistics, industry, and resource management. The Portal will monitor the impact of technologies on government work, security and flexibility of governments and economies, quality of life, environment and climate change, and future and development.

The Tech Monitor will foresee the effects of advanced technologies in 2018, 2031, 2051 and 2071. Participants of the Summit will have the opportunity to test the platform that features an interactive touch screen to enable the user to define the timeframe for future projections and visualize the most advanced technologies forecast for the specified period through six specialized tools.

Global Forum on Sustainable Development Goals

The Global Policy Platform includes an international forum to discuss the future of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ways to intensify efforts to achieve them, to be held in cooperation with the World Bank and OECD.

The Global Forum on Sustainable Development Goals will hold a ministerial-level discussion, chaired by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, with the participation of ministers from around the world. The event will also see the announcement of a new initiative in cooperation with UNDP. The Forum will feature meetings of nine specialized working groups with around 150 participants in total that will launch three global initiatives.

More than 20 Specialized Reports

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi announced that the sixth edition of WGS will produce more than 20 specialized global reports covering vital sectors and key topics, including 12 reports to be announced through the Technology and Reports Platform, addressing future trends in areas such as technology, advanced science and innovation.

Initiatives and Projects

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said that WGS 2018 will witness the launch of a host of initiatives and projects set to transform the outcomes of the previous editions into action with a positive impact, thus contributing to enhancing the efficiency of government work and the readiness of institutions in the public and private sector.

The initiatives will include the Government in 2071 Guidebook, the first project of its kind to develop government work for the next 50 years, offering an overview of key innovations and trends affecting societies and economies, a futuristic vision of government work and key performance indicators, and a perspective on the relationship between government, society, economy and education systems.

Examining global trends and their impact on the future of governments over the next five decades, the Guidebook aims to inspire policymakers, strategists, and business and community leaders around the world to begin planning for significant changes that governments are expected to face.

The Summit will also launch the Global Momentum Index (GMI) that will measure the preparedness of governments for the future and their readiness to adapt to future changes at all levels. The Index will enhance the ability of governments to meet the challenges of the future and support their efforts to improve their adaptability.

Global A.I Governance Forum

 His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi stressed that forecasting the future of government work in vital sectors, which are most closely connected to human life in view of the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, enables governments to continue to perform their duties efficiently and enhances their ability to improve quality of life and build trust among the community.

He added: "The World Government Summit is the first event to discuss the challenges of the future of labor markets and human jobs in light of technological development and the threat of robots taking over human jobs. In this context, the Global A.I Governance Forum will discuss the future implications of this global phenomenon and the best ways to prepare for it.”

Space Settlement Forum

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi clarified that the Space Settlement Forum will provide the governments of the world with a practical vision to explore other planets for human life. The Forum will present the latest advancements in global space research and the development of space technologies on Earth. He stressed that the interest in space science is related to Earth’s sustainability, as the discipline helps us understand outer space and its laws and mechanisms, and find answers of fundamental questions about the nature of the universe.

Arab Youth Leaders Forum

Building on the success of the 2017 Arab Youth Forum, the sixth edition of WGS will dedicate considerable space to Arab youth at the Arab Youth Leaders Forum that aims to reinforce the role of the young generation as a development driver. More than 100 young men and women from Arab countries will discuss ways of participating actively in shaping the future of the region and enhancing their contributions to sustainable development.

Global Dialogue for Happiness

The second Global Dialogue for Happiness will host a meeting of the World Happiness Council and the launch of the first World Happiness Report, a guide for governments seeking happiness for their societies and one of the outcomes of the inaugural edition of the Dialogue.

Climate Change Forum

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said that climate change will be one of the main topics on the Summit’s agenda in light of the challenges of preserving the planet’s sustainability and the need to develop future solutions that contribute to ecological balance and conservation of life on Earth and reduce the damage caused by technological and industrial development.

Museum of the Future

The Museum of the Future will highlight state-of-the-art technologies and innovative projects developed by governments around the world as solutions to the challenges facing their communities in critical areas.

The Museum of the Future will hold an exploratory experiment that combines science and advanced technology, considered to possess first-of-a-kind artificial intelligence abilities. Entitled ‘Hi, I am AI’, the experiment will comprise a robot receiving visitors and interacting with them.

The experience offers an in-depth insight into artificial intelligence, its nature, its place position in the UAE, and how it can be used to improve people’s lives in the future.

Edge of Government

Edge of Government, organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, provides a unique opportunity for the Summit participants to learn about latest global trends in developing innovative solutions to challenges. The platform highlights innovations used by governments across the globe to cope with rapid changes.

Five International Awards

His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi announced that WGS 2018 will honor the winners of five international awards: Best Government Technology in the World including Best Government Mobile Service, Virtual Government Hackathon and Best Emerging Government Technologies, as well the Best Minister award, Best Innovations of Creative Governments award,  Best Teacher award, and the University Challenge award that will see teams from 17 universities from around the world compete for honors.

In line with the mission of WGS, the awards encourage leadership in government work and adopting future technologies, and reflect the Summit’s trends in highlighting inspiring global experiences that have made a difference in the lives of communities.

Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi: Launching a global report on happiness policies and inspiring experiences

Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi stressed that successful governments believe in their responsibility to achieve happiness and quality of life for their people through the implementation of relevant policies and action plans.

She said: “Happiness is not a temporary state, but a human goal and a permanent pursuit of the best. Future governments will focus on happiness and quality of life in their policies and initiatives and work to develop best practices of governance. The tools for achieving happiness can be tailored to the specifics of each community. The most important step governments can take in this regard is including happiness, positivity and quality of life at the heart of their policies.”

Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi revealed that the second edition of the Global Dialogue for Happiness will convene 500 scientists, specialists and officials from around the world to discuss happiness and quality of life and their relation to government policies. The Dialogue will launch the first World Report on Happiness Policies, a result of the work of the World Council of Happiness, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi pointed out that the report outlines the framework for helping governments incorporate the concepts of happiness in their strategies, and represents a practical tool that highlights global initiatives and achievements that can assist decision-makers in designing policies. She added that the report covers six main themes: Education, Work Environment, Personal Happiness, Public Health, Urban Planning and Management, and Standards of Good Governance.

Her Excellency Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi outlined the most important features of the second edition of the World Dialogue for Happiness. The segment will include 25 sessions, headlined by decision makers, scientists and experts on the six main themes. The sessions will also present successful experiences from Costa Rica, Scandinavia, Latin America and the UAE.

Topics will include incorporating happiness and quality of life in government policies, attributes of positive countries, the importance of human values, such as hope, and their impact on societies seeking a better future, the role of behavioral science, personal motivations for happiness, and measuring the impact of policies on the happiness of societies.

The event will also address the subject of technology and mass data and their effect on happiness and the use of technology to measure the impact of policies on happiness. In addition, it will present the inspiring stories of Buddhist monk and writer Matthieu Ricard known as ‘the happiest man in the world’, and several Arab hope makers.

His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi: Changing global trends to meet climate challenge

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said that the World Government Summit, since inception in 2013, has created a unique platform for the deliberation of major topics and the announcement of decisions that contribute to the overall development of the UAE. In the past few years, the Summit’s deliverables have become of a more global nature, attracting the attention of world leaders and experts who use the platform to discuss present and future topics that touch on the concerns of the world community.

“As climate change is one of the most eminent global challenges, it was the focus of the summit in its 2017 edition. World leaders and experts convened and discussed the effects of climate change on the food supply and how it influences the lives of all nations,” he added.

He pointed out that climate change challenges will continue to be the focus for this year’s edition. In fact, a micro-summit will be organized, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit, to shed light on the effects of climate change on the stability and prosperity of human life. The micro-summit will focus on three main topics. The first is how climate change acts as a multiplier of already existing problems, such as poverty and socio-political tensions, thus leading to more violence around the world. 

As for the second topic, Al Zeyoudi added, it will tackle the aggravation of the effects of global temperatures rise and the increased probability of catastrophic natural disasters. He emphasized on the importance of being prepared and taking measures to counter disasters resulting from climate change. 

“The third topic will focus on the important role women assume globally and their active contributions in all sectors, including environmental sustainability issues.”

Dr. Thani said that a sustainable future for all can only be achieved by harnessing the capabilities of both men and women in climate action. Therefore, the issue of gender equity will be in the spotlight.

“Top statistics and data released by world organizations, namely the World Health Organization, that explicitly reflect the magnitude and gravity of climate change impacts on the world will be showcased towards the end of the micro-summit,” he added.

Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui: Stimulating leadership among Arab youth

Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, noted that the participation of the Arab Youth Center in WGS 2018 aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, that was announced in 2017 and reflects his faith in the abilities of young people and the importance of giving them the opportunity to lead their own future.

She said: “His Highness's unwavering support has inspired and motivated our work to convey an honorable image of the Arab youth to the world. With our participation in the Summit, we aim to celebrate the success our youth has achieved in the one year since the launch of the Center.”

Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui announced the launch of the Arab Youth Pioneers initiative that honors the exceptional achievements of 100 young Arab men and women in various fields. She said: “There are thousands of success stories in the Arab world. Our initiative seeks to highlight them and give them the opportunity to shine at the Summit.”

The Arab Youth Center is set to celebrate the first anniversary of its launch by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan during WGS 2017.

As part of its participation in the Arab Youth Leaders Forum, the Center will showcase its achievements during the first year. These include initiatives announced by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed – a platform for collective participation in youth efforts, youth workshops in five Arab countries, a platform for educational scholarships for Arab youth and a platform that brings together more than 1,000 opportunities for Arab youth. These are in addition to initiatives developed by the Center, such as the Arab Youth Projects Market and the Young Arab Media Leaders Program.

Furthermore, the Arab Youth Center is set to launch the first initiative of its kind, named ‘Arab Youth Pioneers’, which aims to promote youth role models and honor 100 young men and women from Arab countries who have reinforced the honorable image of young people through their active participation in diverse fields of community development.

The activities of the Arab Youth Pioneers will include youth meetings with IMF and OECD and workshops where young people launch innovative solutions and initiatives to support Arab governments in forecasting the future.

His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama: Artificial intelligence to serve governments and people

His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, said: “The World Government Summit is a platform for future trends that bring the most significant benefits for governments, such as artificial intelligence (AI). The Global AI Governance Forum will bring together 100 AI pioneers from across the globe, including experts, intellectuals and leaders of the private and public sectors. This forum is the first of its kind worldwide, and provides an important platform to explore all things AI from the government perspective. It also introduces decision makers in the region to key developments and best global practices in artificial intelligence.”

He added: “The Global AI Governance Forum will reinforce the UAE’s leadership in this area, especially after the country announced the appointment of the first AI minister in the world. The UAE is also the first country to enable governments to discuss AI comprehensively. The forum’s agenda will include workshops that convene key figures in artificial intelligence to outline clear plans for governments in AI governance, establish legislative and regulatory frameworks for this sector, and produce a road map to leverage AI to serve societies and build a better future for humanity.”

His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama noted that the forum will feature open sessions as part of the WGS agenda that aim to highlight the concept of artificial intelligence and its best practices for individuals and governments.

He pointed out that the event will draw the participation of nine governments, seven international organizations and several key global personalities, including Sebastian Thrun, Mark Ribert, Jaan Tallinn, and Nick Bostrom.

Her Excellency Sarah bin Yousef Al Amiri: Space Settlement Forum is an opportunity to enhance the global role of the UAE

Her Excellency Sarah bin Yousef Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, stressed that the Space Settlement Forum will represent an important opportunity to enhance the role of the UAE in this field, especially as the Forum's activities, meetings and discussion will translate into recommendations that will be used in developing the agenda of one of the most important space summits hosted by the United States.

She said that more than 20 international experts in space science and technology – astronauts, scientists and researchers from various disciplines in the space industry around the world, including American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson – will participate in the forum that will be attended by over 170 regional and local experts. She added that more than 10 technical workshops, panel discussions and expert sessions will be organized, focusing on the benefits of space exploration for governments and communities.

The workshops will host local and international experts, who will subsequently prepare reports containing recommendations for steps to be taken by the global space sector to promote projects sending humans into space. The reports will determine the agenda of the Humans to Mars Summit, the world's largest conference in this field, held in Washington, US.

The Space Settlement Forum is organized in cooperation with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and Explore Mars, a US-based nonprofit space organization.

Partners: World Government Summit Makes the Future

The Summit's key partners pointed out that WGS has evolved into a global future incubator and change leader, and a platform for introducing future technologies and innovations that will propel humanity to the next stage of development and set a new model for smart governments.

During a discussion with leaders of media organizations and media representatives, the partners explained that the Summit's directions aligns with their efforts to develop their sectors and business models.

Osman Sultan, the Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC said: “In light of the rapid changes and transformations that societies, countries and individuals are witnessing as a result of the digital and technological development, which has affected various aspects of our lives, there are new dialogues that need effective platforms through which innovative solutions can be developed to meet the growing human needs. Discourse based on what is technically and commercially feasible, must be integrated with what is socially beneficial and morally acceptable. As an integral part of the socio-economic fabric, EITC is proud to participate for the fifth time in the World Government Summit, which has become the most important summit in the world, lending its support and playing an important role in facilitating and contributing to the UAE’s leadership vision in shaping the future for residents and citizens across the country, the region and the world”.

His Excellency Hussain Nasser Lootah: Dubai Municipality is keen to strengthen its partnership with the Summit

His Excellency Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: "WGS is based on the vision of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to reinforce the leading status of the UAE in the international arena.”

He added: “In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his vision for the future, Dubai Municipality works relentlessly to achieve new levels of progress and readiness for the future. The success of the last five editions of WGS has raised the bar for the Municipality as one of Dubai's government departments and one of WGS partner institutions to provide a qualitative, forward-looking, insightful approach that will help harness technological progress for sustainable development."

His Excellency Hussain Nasser Lootah pointed out that WGS has become a global interactive platform for exploring the future of governments through attracting world leaders, decision makers, international organizations, private sector leaders, experts and thinkers from around the world.

He said: “Every year, this landmark event that brings together local and global partners to share their views in diverse fields sets the agenda for the next generation of governments with a focus on harnessing innovation and technology to create innovative and proactive solutions to the global challenges facing humanity. Dubai Municipality is keen to strengthen the partnership with WGS as one of the most important international platforms to explore future and a global trends for the good of mankind. The Summit is a prominent event of global importance and the first forum of its kind in the world in terms of looking ahead, anticipating challenges and developing solutions.”

His Excellency Hussain Nasser Lootah added that the efforts of Dubai Municipality since the closing session of WGS 2017 have focused on exploring the future of all sectors. He noted that at the upcoming edition of the event, the Municipality will discuss key topics such as artificial intelligence, future cities housing and blockchain, and share its experience in water technology in collaboration with leading experts.

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said: “Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is participating as the Sustainable Energy Partner for the World Government Summit 2018. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the World Government Summit in the UAE, to establish it as a global platform for sharing knowledge among governments worldwide, and anticipating the future by harnessing innovation and technology to find effective solutions to the challenges facing mankind.”

“We are happy to share our expertise and experience in shaping the future of energy, by creating a future model for utilities, based on innovative disruptive technologies. These technologies provide smart solutions and services for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and water, as well as clean energy generation. This supports the UAE Vision 2021, and the UAE Centennial 2071.”

We will present our holistic view of the energy sector in Dubai through three main themes. The first theme is to produce more clean energy, especially solar power. The second theme is the production of desalinated water from solar power. The third theme is the reformulation of the institutional work system and the role of utilities. DEWA has a clear strategy for smart and digital transformation, which will embrace all its operations and divisions, to improve efficiency, and achieve the happiness of all its stakeholders,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said that the Group's vision is based on the pivotal role of trade as an engine of economic growth and that DP World plays an integral part in enabling global trade.

He added: "Our participation in the sixth edition of the World Government Summit will focus on the future of transport and logistics and the role of technology in boosting the transport sector through rapid and efficient shipping."

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem referred to India's participation as a guest of honor to showcase its experience in promoting public-private partnerships.

He said: "Innovation is the key to the future, and we believe in the importance of the next wave of technologies in supporting global trade. We look forward to exploring the potential of leveraging modern and future technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous vehicles, to achieve sustainable growth in our industry.”

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that RTA is proud to be the Smart Mobility Partner of the World Government Summit for the second year in a row. He also stressed the Authority's keenness to participate productively in the Summit since its first edition. He added that in 2018, RTA will focus on its initiative related to the future of mobility, including future transportation means, the use of artificial intelligence and big data, self-driving vehicles, and application of the blockchain technology in transportation, in addition to competing in three categories of the Best Government Application award.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer said that RTA’s speech at the Summit will highlight the role of the private sector in building the future of mobility worldwide and the driving forces behind future trends in mobility, the challenges associated with implementing these trends, and the contribution of the private sector and governments to overcoming these challenges. The speech will also address the most important enablers of the future of mobility worldwide, notably the provision of adequate infrastructure and legislation.

He added: "The private sector, in cooperation with governments, plays a pivotal role in building the future of mobility. This requires the public and private sectors to develop modern systems that meet the needs of cities and communities. For RTA, partnership with the private sector is of great importance as a practical platform to enhance financial sustainability and provide innovative and effective solutions in the field of roads and transportation. The Authority has a strong track record in cooperating with the private sector in the design, implementation, operation and maintenance of various road projects and transport systems.”

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer stressed that Dubai has unique enablers that make it the ideal destination for the future of mobility. He called on specialized companies in Dubai to participate in developing the future mobility industry on a regional and global scale.

His Excellency Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi: Positive Effects of the Summit Outcome

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), said: "In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, WGS has firmly established itself as a unique platform that works efficiently throughout the year to produce knowledge relevant to governments and explore the future of all sectors.”

He added: “As a national financial institution that supports sustainable development, ADFD is keen to participate in WGS as a strategic partner. We have seen the Summit make great strides year after year, and are proud to observe the positive impact its outcomes have on the issues it raised. We seek to benefit from the exchange of experience the Summit offers, build synergies that align with our objectives, and boost cooperation with international financial institutions that will be prominently represented at this year’s edition.”

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi noted that the significant interest, the wide international participation and the productive discussions at the Summit, especially on issues related to global development, have collectively contributed to the crystallization of multiple ideas that help governments and nations of the world deal with socio-economic challenges and leverage scientific and technological progress to achieve sustainable development.

He said: “ADFD collaborates with the governments of 87 countries across the world. Its efforts over the past four decades have assisted developing countries in achieving their development goals and improving the lives of their people. The Fund also helped establish the UAE as the world's first humanitarian aid and development assistance center, and we look forward to our future achievements.”

His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori: WGS is a much-awaited event globally

His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector (TRA), said: “The World Government Summit has become an increasingly important global annual event that is much-awaited by decision and policy makers. Hosting the event aligns with the UAE leadership’s vision to enhance the country’s global position and influence, explore international experiences, and highlight the UAE’s own experience in various domains including the government sector, which focuses on growing customer happiness, supporting sustainable development, and building a knowledge-based economy.”

He added: “WGS is a global platform for shaping the future. The event promotes the utilization of artificial intelligence, smart cities, and digital transformation in all government work with the aim of leveraging the outcomes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially big data and IoT.”

During its participation in WGS, TRA will highlight a series of initiatives in the telecommunications and IT sector in addition to those launched by its ICT Fund, including scholarships for the youth and space programs.