Dubai
Over 4,000 global and regional delegates, including heads of state and Nobel laureates will participate in the fifth edition of the World Government Summit starting on February 12, it was announced yesterday.
The summit will host 150 speakers across 114 sessions, with more than 4,000 regional and global personalities within 138 international delegations, making it the largest participation of its kind since the event was first launched in 2013.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will hold a keynote session on the first day of the summit, while Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, will announce a new future project for the emirate of Dubai during the summit.
The summit, WGS 2017, will witness participation of heads of state, thought leaders, disrupters, Nobel laureates and experts. The high-level delegations participating in the event demonstrate the summit’s leading position as a global platform disseminating knowledge shaping the future, and as an attractive hub for international influencers, which facilitates the exchange of ideas and insights, and enhances awareness of future challenges and possible solutions.
Lt-General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, will address a key session on sustainability of nations through establishing an ecosystem of values.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also headline WGS 2017 in a keynote address.
The summit is also set to host in its diverse sessions with many top international influencers in technology, business, economy, futurism and education sectors, among others.
Alongside the World Government Summit, the first Arab Youth Forum will be launched under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who will launch a new project for youth in the Arab world.
One of the sessions on the future of humanitarian aid will feature Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammad. Meanwhile, Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director, will shed light on the global economic landscape at present and highlight challenges and opportunities for the future in a special session.
In addition, Irina Bokova, the Unesco Director-General, will be a focal point of the summit and will be part of a keynote address during the second day.
Other prominent speakers include Yukiya Amano, Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who will discusses the future of nuclear energy.
Also, Travis Kalanick, founder of Uber, will share visions and insights, while the founder of LinkedIn will highlight the role of entrepreneurs in enhancing the concept of coexistence.
The four largest development banks, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank, will be present during the summit.
Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of the WGS Organisation, said the UAE has successfully transformed the summit into a global platform for shaping future governments as part of its efforts to establish an international movement for the welfare of people across the globe.
Al Gergawi said: “The fifth edition of WGS has attracted leading names across various fields. For the first time in the region, we will host Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX and one of the most important visionaries of the 21st century. We will also welcome Travis Kalanick who has changed the concept of transportation globally.”
He added: “The summit’s experience as an international platform that convenes heads of state, government leaders, ministers, officials, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders of international organisations who help shape future governments has truly reached an advanced stage that focuses on finding balance between technological advancements and achieving the happiness and welfare of the people.”
“The quality of participations in the summit attest to its success in transforming from a global event into a platform that takes the mandate of shaping the future as an approach to develop the work of governments and find solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. The event will also study how to utilise the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution and turn them into tools that help advance the lives of more than seven billion people.”
He added: “Successful governments are those that can innovate the tools of government work to preempt potential challenges in the near as well as the more distant future. World challenges are escalating in terms of development, sustainability, human capital, healthcare, education, infrastructure, environment, and climate change.”
