‘UAE’s gift to the world is the future,’ says Mohammed Al Gergawi

In the presence Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council, and Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Co-Chair of the Global Future Councils, and Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and chairman of the board of trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF), on Wednesday opened the 2024 Annual Meeting of Global Future Councils (AMGFC24).

AMGFC24 is hosted by the UAE Government in cooperation with WEF and takes place from Oct.15-17 in Dubai. The discussions between experts, thought leaders, futurists, senior government officials, and business leaders from 80 countries will help shape the agenda of the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

In his opening remarks, Al Gergawi called on the international community to embrace agility and new ideas. He told the audience: "The primary measure of success for countries, societies and individuals is their agility and ability to adapt. Governments and societies must be able to adapt to change and embrace new ideas.”

Calling on governments and decision makers to reconsider international convictions on economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues, he said: "The only constant conviction is that nothing is constant in life.”

Al Gergawi highlighted how progress has been made in some areas at the same time as significant setbacks in others.

He described how global economic output has nearly tripled since the end of the 1980s, which has helped lift about 1.5 billion people out of extreme poverty. On the other hand, recent geopolitical tensions dispel the notion that prosperity leads to stability.

He also described how technology has enabled the world to answer questions about space and science, expanding human understanding and changing the face of education, health, money and media. But he warned of a lack of inclusivity with a large portion of the world remaining "in digital darkness”.

Al Gergawi told the audience: "Recent years have proved that sustainability can be an engine for economic growth. More than 13 million jobs have been created by the renewable energy sector and the green economy is now valued at more than US$7 trillion, making it the second fastest growing sector after technology. We must understand that sustainability and the economy can both move forward in harmony.”

Professor Schwab also delivered opening remarks, calling on the world to retain optimism for the future despite today’s "turbulent times”.Citing the shift from a stable global order to a multipolar, conflictual world, Professor Schwab said: "If people believe [the] future will not be better, then the basic narrative of humankind always to prepare for a better future is lost. This is one of the biggest dangers we have in the world.”

He also stressed on the importance of AMGFC24: "The Global Future Councils have become a major global force, a systemic force integrating all dimensions of life to shape the future.

"If you want to believe in a better future, if you want to have hope in a better future, we have to design this future; and this group is ideally mandated to help to do so. When we design the future, we should not forget that today political, economic, social, environmental and technological issues are interrelated.”

WEF’s Global Future Councils represent the world’s main multistakeholder and interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to shaping a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future by identifying and promoting transformative ideas. Its members provide strategic insights, scientific evidence, foresight, and knowledge on the most pressing issues.

WAM