Dubai Municipality wins global foresight accreditation

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has become the first municipal authority in the world to receive the Level 3 International Foresight Accreditation, an honour awarded by the US-based Global Innovation Management Institute (GIMI).

The accreditation recognises the municipality’s advanced readiness for the future, its structured foresight practices, and its long-term strategic planning.

The achievement follows a detailed assessment by international experts using GIMI’s global “S4” model, which evaluates institutions across four pillars: scoping, scanning, scenario development, and strategy integration.

Level 3, known as Systematic Foresight, indicates that Dubai Municipality embeds foresight tools directly into its planning, policy design, and decision-making processes.

According to the assessment report, the municipality received full marks in the category measuring its core foresight vision, showing strong capabilities in identifying drivers of change, tracking uncertainty, and integrating signals into strategic frameworks.

The review also highlighted its internal systems for monitoring weak signals and turning them into institutional insights.

In a statement, Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the accreditation “reflects Dubai’s long-standing belief that the future is a source of strength for nations and societies.”

He added that the recognition supports the municipality’s mission to strengthen Dubai’s status as a global city of the future — “a hub for innovation, imagination, and resilience” built on sustainable infrastructure and high-quality services.

The evaluators also noted the municipality’s ability to link scenario outcomes to strategic initiatives and priority projects, saying this systematic alignment shows a fully integrated, proactive approach to planning.

The accreditation is expected to help shape future roadmaps that boost institutional readiness, support evidence-based decision-making, and enhance Dubai’s position on global innovation indicators.

GIMI, headquartered in the United States, is a non-profit organisation that develops international standards in innovation and foresight. It provides accreditation programmes and assessment models designed to help public and private institutions strengthen long-term preparedness and organisational excellence.