Dubai: The fourth edition of the World Government Summit, under the title ‘Shaping Future Governments’, is set to run from February 8 to 10 under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

The summit will be attended by more than 3,000 participants from 125 countries, including a number of heads of states, governments and international organisations, dignitaries and experts from the government and private sectors across the world. US President Barack Obama will address the summit on the opening day with a keynote speech via CCTV. 
The US will participate as the annual guest of honour at this year’s event.

The first day of the summit will also see Shaikh Mohammad conduct a conversation with his 10 million followers on social media platforms titled 'Dialogue of the Future', from 6.30pm UAE time. Shaikh Mohammad will answer questions on his vision for the future of government, education, health, cities and other vital sectors.

During the first day, a keynote address entitled ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’ will be delivered by Professor Klaus Schwab, President and Founder of the World Economic Forum.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Jose Angel Gurria will also deliver keynote addresses.

Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, will speak in a session titled ‘Doctrine of Integration’, during which he will discuss the UAE vision, adopted in unifying efforts and integrating capabilities to shape a better future.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Government Summit 2016, stressed that the summit in its fourth edition will explore horizons of the future, guided by the wise vision of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the leadership of Shaikh Mohammad that places the well-being of mankind at its core through adopting an innovative approach and proactive philosophy.

He outlined the 10 key changes in the summit structure this year, including: transforming the summit into an international organisation, answering questions of the future today, providing studies all year round, having concerted discussions, providing an electronic knowledge platform, offering mechanisms to build connections, launching the ‘Edge of Government’ exhibition, introducing a yearly guest of honour, and introducing the ‘Best Minister in the World’ award.

Al Gergawi added that the Summit has now become an international organisation with global goals, working throughout the year, publishing future-focused research and studies, launching development indicators, as well as collaborating and sharing insights with partners from around the world on the best practices to ensure the advancement of the world and prepare it for the future.

In the framework of the World Government Summit, a series of meetings and sessions will be held to discuss ways to implement the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These meetings are held in cooperation with international organisations participating in the summit, especially the United Nations and the World Bank, to discuss the SDGs that have been agreed upon by the international community under the auspices of the UN in September 2015 in New York. They are the indicators of global performance over the next 15 years. This will be the first international meeting to discuss the mechanism of achieving the SDGs that takes place after the conference in which these goals were announced.

The summit will also launch a survey on the digital transformation of government in cooperation with the Deloitte Foundation. The survey will include 1,200 government officials from 70 countries as well as interviews with 140 government officials and international experts. It will focus on the use of the digital technology as the most important factor affecting the delivery of government services. The results of the survey will be announced at the World Government Summit 2017.