World Government Summit 2026: Who is attending, what to expect
35 heads of state, 150 governments and 500 ministers set to attend Dubai summit
Dubai: Dubai will host the World Government Summit 2026 from February 3 to 5, bringing together more than 6,000 leaders, ministers, CEOs and experts from around the world.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation, said on Friday that this will be the largest edition in the Summit’s history, with record global participation.
35 heads of state, 150 governments
More than 35 heads of state and government will attend, along with delegations from over 150 countries and more than 500 ministers.
Leaders confirmed include:
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan
Guy Parmelin, President of Switzerland
Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador
Alar Karis, President of Estonia
Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait
Among heads of government attending:
Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania
Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt
Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
Prime ministers from Spain, Albania, Georgia, Bhutan, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda will also be present.
Why this year is different
Al Gergawi said 2026 will be the biggest and most global edition since the Summit began in 2013.
He said the Summit has grown from a small regional meeting into a major global platform for governments and businesses. For the first time, the UAE will host the World Laureates Summit alongside WGS.
This will bring together winners of:
Nobel Prize
Turing Award
Fields Medal
Wolf Prize
Top scientists, including Michael Levitt, Steven Chu and Kip Thorne, will take part. They will discuss how science can help governments solve problems in health, climate, technology and education.
Big names from global business
CEOs and leaders from major companies will attend, including:
Airbus
IBM
Alibaba
Ericsson
Google DeepMind
BYD
Canva
Kempinski
Four Seasons
Aviation, tourism, logistics, AI, retail and finance will all be strongly represented.
What will be discussed
The agenda includes:
Artificial intelligence
Aviation and future travel
Tourism and hospitality
Trade and logistics
Education
Healthcare
Sustainable cities
Investment and economic growth
There will be 24 global forums, 35 high-level meetings and more than 300 sessions.
Global organisations attending
International bodies such as the IMF, World Bank, OECD, IFC, OPEC Fund and Arab Monetary Fund will take part.
This gives the Summit strong influence over global economic and development discussions.
Awards for global excellence
Four major awards will be presented:
Best Minister Award
Most Reformed Government Award
Dubai International Best Practices Award
Global Teacher Prize
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