Dubai Municipality to showcase future city life at Dubai Future Week

Dubai: Dubai Municipality will showcase its approach to anticipating and shaping the future of urban life through a programme bringing together foresight, innovation and youth participation at the Dubai Future Week 2026.

Featuring four new launches and partnerships across innovation, sustainability and geospatial data, alongside six programme contributions, the Municipality’s participation as strategic partner of will highlight how future-focused thinking is being translated into practical initiatives, stronger institutional readiness and new opportunities to develop solutions for the evolving needs of cities.

A key highlight will be a youth-led immersive experience exploring what life in Dubai could look like in 2040, placing the next generation at the centre of conversations about the city’s future.

Organised by Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Future Week 2026 will run from November 18 to 21 at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future. To be held under the theme ‘For the Future Human’, the event is expected to bring together more than 10,000 participants, including experts, decisionmakers, policymakers and innovators.

Dubai Municipality’s participation is built around its approach to anticipating change, strengthening future readiness and translating foresight into practical solutions for the city. A central focus of the programme is youth participation, with young Municipality employees taking an active role in exploring future scenarios, contributing ideas and engaging in discussions on the decisions that will shape Dubai’s development.

A day in 2040

A key highlight will be the ‘Dubai Never Sleeps’ simulation at the Challenge Dome, where six young Dubai Municipality employees will guide audiences through 24 hours in Dubai in 2040. The interactive experience will explore how the city could function throughout a typical day, encouraging participants to consider emerging challenges and opportunities and contribute their perspectives on its future.

The simulation will examine six areas representing Dubai Municipality’s core functions: planning and governance; building regulation and permits; public facilities; waste and sewerage; environment, health and safety; and corporate support services. Through these perspectives, the experience will demonstrate how future developments could influence municipal services, infrastructure and everyday life in Dubai.

During the event, Dubai Municipality will also announce four new launches and partnerships spanning innovation, sustainability and geospatial data, alongside initiatives that create opportunities for private-sector innovators to test and evaluate solutions in real-world urban environments.

These announcements will demonstrate how the Municipality is connecting future planning with practical experimentation and the development of solutions that respond to the city’s evolving needs.

Foresight in focus

The Municipality’s programme also includes participation in specialised discussions addressing the relationship between foresight, research, policymaking and urban development.

Under the STARS programme, Dubai Municipality will contribute to a session titled ‘The City as Evidence: Why Government Data Is the Foundation of Urban Research?’, exploring the role of government data in supporting research and informing decisions about the future of cities.

The Municipality will also participate in a closed-door Peer Foresight Group session, bringing together government foresight practitioners to exchange emerging signals and perspectives on future developments. Its contribution to the Policy Room, through a session titled ‘Is the Era of Regulation Over?’, will examine evolving approaches to policymaking and regulation.

Dubai Municipality will also serve on the judging panel for the semi-finals of The Pitch, assessing solutions focused on food resilience and supply chains.

Youth at the centre

Further strengthening the youth dimension of its participation, Dubai Municipality employees will take part in expert discussions and future-focused dialogues. The participants will engage with other emerging talents in developing future scenarios and exploring ideas that could influence the direction of urban development and government services.

Together, these contributions reflect Dubai Municipality’s approach to building institutional readiness for the future through foresight, evidence-based decision-making and collaboration. They also demonstrate the Municipality’s commitment to providing young professionals with opportunities to participate in discussions and initiatives that inform the city’s long-term development.

Shaping Dubai’s future

Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, affirmed that Dubai’s approach to anticipating and shaping the future is guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which places innovation, proactive planning and the development of future-ready solutions at the centre of the emirate’s continued progress.

He said: “A future-ready city anticipates change and prepares for it. Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a model city of the future. At Dubai Municipality, we are advancing an integrated approach that brings together foresight, data-driven decision-making and practical innovation to anticipate emerging needs and develop solutions that support the city’s long-term growth.

“Dubai Future Week provides an important platform to demonstrate how this approach is being translated into action, from exploring future scenarios and informing policy to creating opportunities for innovators and partners to test new solutions. These efforts are essential to developing municipal services and infrastructure that remain responsive to change and contribute to a more sustainable and liveable city.”

Youth’s voice in shaping the city

He added: “Young people have an essential role in shaping Dubai’s future, and their participation must extend beyond contributing ideas to influencing the decisions and solutions that will define the city in the years ahead. This is why we are placing our young employees at the centre of our participation in Dubai Future Week, enabling them to lead discussions, explore future scenarios and share their perspectives on the development of municipal services and the urban environment.

“Those who will live in Dubai in 2040 should have a voice in shaping it today. By providing young professionals with opportunities to contribute to planning, innovation and decision-making, we are strengthening our institutional capabilities while investing in the next generation of leaders who will help realise Dubai’s future ambitions.”

Dubai Municipality’s participation in Dubai Future Week reflects its continued efforts to embed foresight into institutional planning, strengthen collaboration with government and private-sector partners, and expand opportunities for young talent to contribute to the future of municipal work.

Through these efforts, the Municipality aims to advance a more anticipatory and responsive approach to city management, supporting the development of efficient and sustainable services, resilient infrastructure and public environments that enhance quality of life for Dubai’s residents and visitors.